Donations and industry support spur Fit for Good

Fit for Good, the charitable foundation designed to provide health and fitness opportunities for Australians in need, enjoyed a successful Australian Fitness & Health Expo and FILEX Convention, raising in excess of $23,000 thanks to support from the Australian Institute of Fitness, Les Mills, OzAccom Travel, Gwinganna Health Retreat, Australian Fitness Network and event attendees.

The goal of Fit for Good is twofold - to encourage the fitness industry to reach out to Australians in need with a passion, energy and enthusiasm for health and fitness, and to inspire the helping community to embrace the power of exercise as a means by which people with mental health problems, drug and alcohol addictions, depression and anxiety can feel healthier and better about themselves.

Helping Fit for Good reach these goals, on Thursday 26th April, at the FILEX Business Summit, founder and Executive Director, Lisa Champion, was presented with a cheque for $5,000 by Australian Institute of Fitness Chief Executive Martin Hartcher.

The funding, marking a wonderful start to FILEX and the Expo, stemmed from a pledge made 12 months earlier, at the launch of Fit for Good, when the Institute agreed to support the Foundation with $25,000 over the next five years.

The following day, at the FILEX opening ceremony, Lisa took the opportunity to share with over 2,000 attendees just a few details about the work Fit for Good has done over the past 12 months – which set a tone of interest, enthusiasm and pledges of support that ran throughout the event.

On the Saturday night, the Les Mills Dance-A-Palooza dance party held on the Saturday night of the FILEX weekend was a huge success, with over 500 attendees and raising over $4,100.

On the final day of FILEX, Lisa was again overwhelmed by a donation of $10,000 from the Directors of the Australian Institute of Fitness's Victoria/Tasmania campuses.

During the event the Fit for Good raffle, with wonderful prizes kindly donated by OzAccom

Travel, Gwinganna Health Retreat, Australian Institute of Fitness and Australian Fitness Network, generated just over $4,000 to support the work of the Foundation.

This wide-ranging support meant that the total amount of funding raised for Fit for Good through FILEX and the Expo over the event was in excess of $23,000.

Following the event, Lisa Champion gave massive thanks to all who supported the Foundation's fundraising and went on to explain "while FILEX was humming along, Fit for Good was also generating a big buzz at the Expo.

"Due to the incredibly generous support of Diversified Exhibitions, who sponsored our booth and worked hard to increase our exposure among exhibitors, we made a big impact.

"Thanks to our wonderful friends at Komb Athletic, the Fit for Good/Komb TV project was also a big success.

"Over 100 interviews were conducted with FILEX presenters, exhibitors, keen exercise professionals and even a few with some of the clients Fit for Good has supported.

"In addition to these amazing results, we had many expressions of support - volunteers wanting to get on board, fitness businesses wanting to donate products, services and resources, and many exercise professionals and businesses offering to run fundraising events and 'Sole for a Soul' shoe campaigns.

"Thank you to everyone who has pledged their involvement!"

Following the events, the team at Fit for Good headquarters is now working hard to touch base with everyone who has pledged to get behind our mission of reaching out to Australians in need with health and fitness opportunities.

Lisa adds "it's very exciting to feel the traction and momentum that both FILEX and the Expo generated! We're looking forward to doing great things."

Fit for Good will also be shortly launching a Small Grants Application Process - where community service organisations can apply to Fit for Good for funding for health and fitness initiatives within their services.

For more information go to www.fitforgood.org.au

16th April 2011 - FIT FOR GOOD LAUNCHES AT FITNESS CONVENTION AND EXPO 

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