When Fitness and Solidarity come together

Fitness changes lives, and solidarity unites people. One contributes to “a healthy mind in a healthy body,” while the other forms resilient communities. When they come together, we build a better society for all.

As life becomes busy and daily schedules fill up, people see the importance of committing time to exercise and volunteer.  We found a perfect example of this commitment in two individuals, one from the Nonprofit Legion of Good Will and the other from NJ HIIT Fitness and Performance.

LGW Staff

This is how the story began. Sâmara Caruso, a committed member of the Legion of Good Will, started training at NJ HIIT. She discovered that her passion for helping others was shared among the people that work out with her everyday, including NJ HIIT’s owner, José Soto.

Time Magazine

As Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Sâmara - as part of the LGW’s relief team – was actively engaged in the organization’s relief efforts to communities affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida, respectively. In the meantime, José - a native from Puerto Rico - was planning on delivering help to Puerto Rico. When they found out about each other’s efforts, they joined forces and NJ HIIT became a key partner of the LGW to bring emergency kits to Puerto Rico, with the support of many members of the community and other local businesses from New York and New Jersey.

The initiative gained the support from the community, and on December 5, 2017, NJ HIIT hosted LGW’s Pack-a-Thon that will organize all goods received into emergency kits for the trip. Gym members were invited to work out and volunteer from 5PM to 8PM alongside with the LGW’s team.

Thanks to tickets donated by Jetblue, the LGW’s mission trip will occur next week, from December 11 to 13. A team of five brave volunteers will personally deliver emergency kits in areas heavily affected by Hurricane Maria, where thousands of people still suffer from the disaster consequences without any other support. Their itinerary includes the communities of Mariana, Tejas and Mambiche “Blanco y Prieto”, all in the city of Humacao, about one hour away from San Juan.

Our hope is that this story of the connection between fitness and solidarity inspires you to act in solidarity with others anywhere and anytime.

“Love is the greatest power that exists. It is the most efficient strategy for improving the world. It can manifest itself through the most various aspects: Solidarity, Fraternity, and Compassion.” Paiva Netto

SOS Disaster

The actions of the Disaster Relief Campaign seek immediate relief to communities and families affected by natural disasters in various countries. At the end of September, LGW supported children victims of Hurricanes Harvey (Houston, Texas) and Irma (Immokalee, Florida) and took hundreds of kits of school materials in partnership with local schools located in low-income regions. Deliveries can be checked at www.lgw.org/sos.

How to help?

Donations can be made directly at the LGW ‘s New York headquarters (55 West 45th Street 6th Floor, 10036), at NJ HIIT in North Arlington, NJ (576 Ridge Road, 07031) or online at www.lgw.org/sos