ATLANTA (PRWEB) May 10, 2017
Since partnering with Lift for the 22 in 2015 to help reduce veteran transitional depression and anxiety through fitness, WORKOUT ANYTIME, the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week fitness concept, has committed to donating 22 gym memberships to veterans at each of its 130 facilities across the country, totaling nearly 3,000 memberships per year. In honor of Memorial Day, the brands are partnering on a social media campaign for the month of May to increase awareness of the program and raise money for additional memberships.
Lift for the 22, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides one-year gym memberships to veterans across the country, was created to help change veteran lives through fitness. When Carter Davis returned home from active duty in 2013, he suffered from depression and identity loss due to his separation from the military. This eventually resulted in a divorce that nearly made him a statistic – one of the 22 veterans that, at the time, was reported to commit suicide daily. Davis found comfort in his local gym, and realizing the incredible benefits that come from fitness and how it can positively impact veterans transitioning into civilian life, founded Lift for the 22.
“Our goal with the Lift for the 22 program is threefold: to reengage veterans with their local community, to provide a familiar environment to the military where they can set goals, achieve them and improve their self-esteem, and provide physiological benefits through fitness that combat stress and anxiety,” said Davis.
In November 2015, WORKOUT ANYTIME became an official partner to Lift for the 22, with 87 facilities donating 22 memberships valued at more than $667,000. So far in 2017, Lift for the 22 has provided 80 veterans with WORKOUT ANYTIME memberships, valued at $26,000, with nearly 3,000 left to give for the rest of the year. As WORKOUT ANYTIME continues to grow, the brand will donate 22 additional memberships with each new facility that opens. With plans to open 49 locations this year, WORKOUT ANYTIME expects to donate more than 4,100 memberships to Lift for the 22 in 2017.
“Although we honor our military heroes throughout the year, it’s incredibly important to recognize the veterans who have served our country and paid the ultimate price for our freedom on Memorial Day,” said Mark de Gorter, chief operating officer at WORKOUT ANYTIME. “This May, we are layering a fundraising component on top of our efforts with a national social media campaign as well as bringing together our franchise system to raise funds locally. And the money that is raised will go toward providing more memberships to veterans in need.”
By partnering with WORKOUT ANYTIME, Lift for the 22 helps veterans get back into the community, rebuild relationships and apply the confidence they’ve created in the gym to the rest of their life.
“When I talk to a veteran on the phone and provide them with a gym membership, the one thing I say to them is that I want them to go into the gym every day and focus on picking up one more pound than they could the day before,” said Davis. “When they leave the gym, and they’ve built up that sense of confidence and achieved their goals, I encourage them to pick up the extra pound in their personal lives as well.”
To donate to the May social media campaign, please visit the Lift for the 22 Gym Memberships for Veterans Memorial Day Fundraiser Facebook page. Veterans interested in a free membership to WORKOUT ANYTIME must apply through Lift For The 22 at http://www.liftforthe22.org.
ABOUT WORKOUT ANYTIME
Atlanta-based WORKOUT ANYTIME is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week fitness concept with 100 units across the U.S. Founded by fitness veterans John Quattrocchi and Steve Strickland, the company was formed to provide members with first-class fitness facilities at the lowest cost possible, while delivering a profitable and affordable business model to franchisees. Built on the founders’ motto of, “think big, keep it simple and do it with integrity,” WORKOUT ANYTIME is preparing for significant expansion into new territories by providing opportunities to business-minded entrepreneurs. Franchise opportunities are available and more information can be found on http://workoutanytime.com/.