LA Fitness Invites Members and Guests To Dance, Donate and Help Find A Cure For Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Posted: February 25, 2015 in Chains
LA Fitness
IRVINE, CA – In support of Augie’s Quest, LA Fitness announced today that it will host an in-club Group Fitness ZUMBA class at more than 615 of the company’s locations on Saturday, February 28, 2015. Augie’s Quest is a nonprofit research initiative dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). LA Fitness has donated to Augie’s Quest for several years, and this year’s fundraiser marks the fifth in-club event the company has held in support of this worthy cause.
LA Fitness will donate 100% of the proceeds from the event to Augie’s Quest ALS research initiative. ALS is a progressive motor neuron disease that causes complete paralysis. Approximately 5,600 people are diagnosed with ALS each year, affecting as many as 30,000 Americans at any given time. Survival is typically three to five years after diagnosis, and no cure currently exists for the disease.
In March 2005, Augie Nieto, a prominent leader in the fitness industry, was diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Despite the limitations of the disease, Augie continues to lead an active life and is an activist for others fighting the disease. After his diagnosis, Augie coped with his illness by drawing strength from his family, friends and a flood of letters and emails from supporters. Realizing that he could use his voice to raise awareness for others, Augie formed a team and created “Augie’s Quest.” With the sole purpose of finding a cure for ALS, the team he assembled to fight the disease and find a cure holds to one mission: identify the genetic basis of the disease in order to seek a treatment.
“We are pleased to provide access to non-members as well as members for this event. Participants will be contributing to a truly great cause, and experience a great class in a great fitness club. Truly a win, win all the way around,” said Bill Horner, Senior Vice President/Chief Real Estate Officer at LA Fitness.
“I hope that this campaign increases awareness for ALS and encourages people to get active for those of us that can no longer work out. We are grateful for our partnership with LA Fitness and the generosity of your members will help us get closer to a cure,” said Augie Nieto, chairman of Octane Fitness. For full content of this interview, visit the official blog article prepared by LA Fitness; http://blog.lafitness.com/2015/02/20/dance-donate-and-help-find-a-cure-to-als/
The event is open to both members and non-members for a minimum donation of $20 in support of Augie’s Quest. For more information on the event and information regarding how to make a donation, please visit: www.lafitness.com/ALS
