Albany CrossFit Announces $100,000 Fundraising Goal For St. Judes

When it comes to raising funds for children with cancer and other diseases, an Albany gym is going the extra mile. Find out why.

Albany, NY (PRWEB) June 04, 2012

Albany CrossFit and CrossFit Clifton Park, part of a worldwide movement that is changing the way people think about diet, health and fitness, today announced it has set an ambitious $100,000 goal for its CrossFit for Hope fundraising event on June 9, 2012 to benefit St. Jude Chidren’s Research Hospital.

Is a $100,000 goal crazy? Maybe. It would make CrossFit Albany the number one fundraiser among the many CrossFit affiliates participating. But CrossFit Albany has added $7,500 within the last 24 hours, thanks to to some special events that included a talent show and Bar-B-Que.

And it’s all for a great cause. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened in 1962 and was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other deadly diseases through research and treatment.

A CrossFit Albany member named Jenny added a personal appeal on the gym’s website, “I know firsthand how devastating a cancer diagnosis can be on a family. Thankfully, there are hospitals and researchers out there who are doing what they can to postpone the early end of a life. In particular, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital strives to find ways to cure and/or halt childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. CrossFit for Hope is the way our CrossFit community is standing behind St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to help make a difference in the lives of others.”

More than 100 people have already made online pledges to support the cause. And there are still several days left.

“Our members are very community-minded, so we’ve done many fundraising events in the past, but nothing quite like this,” said Jason Ackerman, owner of Albany CrossFit and CrossFit Clifton Park. “I know they are up to the challenge. After all, no family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives. It’s hard to think of a better cause.”

Participants solicit pledges for completing a workout that involves performing three rounds of five exercises. Each exercise is performed for one minute and there is a one minute break between the three rounds. The exercises are: burpees (a combination push-up and clapping jump); snatch (an advanced weightlifting movement); jumping up onto a box; thrusters (front squat and overhead press); and chest-to-bar pull-ups.

The exercises may be scaled for less advanced athletes. And everyone is welcome; participants need not be members at Albany CrossFit or CrossFit Clifton Park.
Complete information and registration is available at on the CrossFit for Hope website. Also on the website: a 90 second video explaining how the money raised will be spent to benefit chidren in need.

“We’e all about community, and this is just another way of giving back,” says Jason Ackerman, owner of Albany CrossFit and CrossFit Clifton Park.

The event will include live radio coverage on Fly 92 and a raffle that features some great prizes: a cruise, an I-Pad, and much more.

The Albany CrossFit gym began modestly four years ago in cramped and shared space with a handful of members. It expanded to a second location in Clifton Park last summer, then expanded its original location. Together, both gyms have over 500 members.

Why the success for a demanding diet and workout regimen?

“It’s the community feeling and the caring,” says Albany CrossFit and CrossFit Clifton Park owner Jason Ackerman. “We treat everyone who walks through the door like an athlete, regardless of their current fitness level, and our members are great about encouraging each other.”

CrossFit workouts focus on natural and functional movements and are different every day. Every workout is coached and the coaches scale the workouts to accommodate different ability levels. CrossFit uses barbells, kettlebells, pull up bars and many body weight movements including squats and pushups.

And it’s a bit like the TV series “Cheers”: everyone knows your name. Members strike up friendships, go out together and travel together. A few have even gotten married.