Anytime Fitness raises significant funding for suicide prevention awareness

Anytime Fitness’ 2019 Tread As One event, a 24-hour treadmill challenge created to raise funds for Australian suicide prevention charity R U OK?, saw over 250 Anytime Fitness clubs around Australia participate in the donation drive held over 24 hours from 30th May to 1st June.

The Tread As One event was started by the community, for the community. A group of friends from Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs who were bereaved by suicide started a 24-hour community treadmill challenge event to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention. Since 2017, the Anytime Fitness Australia community has raised a total of $1.1 million.

The 2019 event saw Anytime Fitness engage a nation-wide audience and encourage their 500,000 strong member network to jump on a treadmill for suicide prevention awareness. Anytime Fitness members, alongside the community as a whole, saw the 2019 event raise over $330,000 for R U OK?.

A number of R U OK? Ambassadors also took part in the challenge to raise money and awareness, including Ali Langdon, Izack Rodda, James Van Cooper and Tom Derickx.

The funds raised by the 2019 Anytime Fitness treadmill challenge will significantly enhance R U OK?’s capacity to better target some of Australia’s most vulnerable communities.  Importantly, this will assist R U OK? to enhance and sustain their campaign activity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; provide additional resourcing for LGBTQI+ communities and help R U OK? to further its reach into multicultural communities.

As household names and leaders in their respective fields, Anytime Fitness and R U OK? are a powerful awareness raising pairing. Chief Executive of Anytime Fitness Australia, Arthur McColl, is passionate about the impact the event has, advising, “Over the past three years, Anytime Fitness has watched our 24-hour treadmill fundraiser deliver much-needed, life changing resources to some of our most important charities. Anytime Fitness lives in Australia’s heartland, and one of my favourite elements of the 24-hour treadmill event is seeing the passion and energy the community holds for this cause.

“None of us are immune to the impact of life’s ups and downs, but with this annual fundraiser, Australians truly do “tread as one” and unite to help drive awareness and raise money for the incredible work of programs like R U OK? and start conversations that could save a life.”

Anytime Fitness Australia has also withdrawn is advertising from broadcaster Alan Jones' 2GB radio show after his offensive remarks in relation to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.