I cannot believe we raised over $3,500 to give so many students from Horizonte School and their families a thanksgiving this year! When Boyd presented us with the opportunity to help last Monday, he told me their goal was to raise $5,000 and I told him 212 would aim to raise $1,000 toward that goal. However, when I got home that night I told Jamie she needed to be ready to have the gym contribute $300-$400 for that effort. After all, we were trying to raise the funds in just one week and the 212 Community had just raised over $6,000 toward ROW4ALS just over a month ago. You all are so amazing and generous and I’m so happy to be a part of 212.
I went to Horizonte on Wednesday and it was eye opening to hear one of the counselors tell us the situation many of these students are in. Horizonte mostly works with 10th-12th graders who have struggled at traditional High Schools and need help getting the requisite credits to graduate. Some of the students live in mobile trailers (think trailer park but the wheels still attached), some live in apartments that aren’t fun places to go. They even have homeless students. School is one of the bright spots for these students, and due to the pandemic that has been taken away from them this year. They do have chromebooks from the school district and have been set up with hotspots, but the year has still been depressing for most of them. The counselor who delivered most of the gift cards described just how meaningful the gift cards were for the students, even bringing some of the students to tears.
On my ride home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how little support some of these students have contrasted with the amazing 212 community that I’m blessed to be a part of. 2020 has been a year of challenges, but there’s still plenty to be thankful for. I’m especially thankful for all of you. Your support this year has meant the world to me. I’m thankful so many of you have committed to remote training over Zoom or TrainHeroic so we can stay connected and continue to help you reach your fitness goals. I’m thankful for all of you who are so respectful of all the COVID protocols we have in place when working out at 212. We wouldn’t be able to train in person if you all didn’t help out and take each other’s health and safety so seriously. I’m thankful your great ideas that you share-even this awesome Thanksgiving Give Back event started with Kelly encouraging us to donate Thanksgiving meals to refugee families she taught English to eight years ago! I’m thankful for your generosity, exemplified by raising 350% of our goal in only one week.
I speak for the entire 212 Team when I say, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!
Josiah, Jamie, Ty, Austin, Theo, Benji and Everett
