A nine-day fundraiser to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is scheduled for ROK Health & Fitness from Sept. 8 through 16.
The event will be comprised of 12 classes taught by 13 different instructors. The classes include spinning, boxing, stretching, Pilates, a boot camp and others. All proceeds will go to benefit St. Jude. It will mark the fifth year that the fundraiser will be held at ROK Health & Fitness, which is at 510 Ocean Ave. in East Rockaway.
“It started out as a little event,” said Patti Mandel-Birnbaum, the organizer for the fundraiser. “Each year it’s grown. … It just took on a life of it’s own because the [gym] members got into it and really pulled everyone together for a common cause.”
In addition to the classes, Mandel-Birnbaum said many local businesses have provided enough donations for 62 raffles, which will be drawn on Sept. 16. When the ROK event first started five years ago, Mandel-Birnbaum said, there were only two classes and $2,000 was raised. Last year, she said, $9,000 went to St. Jude.
“The success of our annual St. Jude fundraiser here at ROK is the direct result of a great group of people here at the club coming together for a worthy cause,” said Mike Hawksby, one of the gym’s owners. “We have a continued group of employees, trainers and instructors that donate their efforts to helping Patti Birnbaum — a cherished ROK member herself — organize the events. With that comes the overwhelming generosity of the members and their donations to complete the circle and make this endeavor really worthwhile.”