Event takes place Oct. 15 at FUMC
By Ashley M. Casey
Staff Writer
The Fan the Flame Fitness group at the Baldwinsville First United Methodist Church will host a “Fit-A-Thon” fundraiser Oct. 15 to benefit Maureen’s Hope Foundation. Current and past Fan the Flame instructors will gather for a morning of Zumba and hooping classes, wellness workshops and refreshments with all proceeds benefiting Maureen’s Hope, which supports people diagnosed with cancer or another life-changing illness.
The Rev. Patti Walz said the idea of a fundraiser during October, which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, came together after the FUMC community had lost several of its own to the disease. Walz remembered Stacy Huntington, who died in 2015 at the age of 44.
“I officiated at her funeral,” Walz said. “She had been struggling with breast cancer for years. … It hit people in the community hard because a lot of people knew her.”
Fan the Flame Zumba instructor Katherine Turner came up with the idea of the Fit-A-Thon. Turner told Walz about the mission of Maureen’s Hope, which helps fulfill the non-medical needs of cancer patients and their families. Among Maureen’s Hope’s programs are comfort baskets, Beads of Courage and Lending a Helping Hand, which helps with cooking, cleaning and other personal services.
“Everybody knows somebody who has struggled with cancer. If they haven’t known someone who’s died from it, then they know someone who lives with it or is a survivor,” Walz said. “I taught school for years, too, and had children die from it. It’s hard on the families.”
The Fit-A-Thon goes hand in hand with Fan the Flame’s celebration of healthy living. The schedule features classes in Zumba, yoga, hula hooping, tai chi, as well as workshops on meditation and managing chronic illnesses. The YMCA’s Livestrong representative will be present, and people can make bracelets for the Beads of Courage program at Maureen’s Hope.
“Water, apples [and] snacks will be free for people to keep up their energy, and it’s all being donated,” Walz said.
Gifford’s ice cream and other refreshments will be available for purchase with all proceeds going to Maureen’s Hope. There will also be a silent auction. Walz said several B’ville businesses have donated gift certificates or baskets, but there is room for more. Businesses interested in donating items for the silent auction may contact Walz at 635-6442.
Fitness classes at the Fit-A-Thon are open to participants ages 14 and up. Free childcare will be available for kids ages 7 to 13.
Fan the Flame Fit-A-Thon takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Baldwinsville First United Methodist Church, located at 17 W. Genesee St., Baldwinsville. Pre-sale admission is $20; after noon Oct. 14, admission at the door is $25. To register and see the schedule of events, visit maureenshope.org/fan-flame-fit-thon-fundraiser.
