Community Fitness Day took place Friday at South Yuba Club in Grass Valley. The purpose of the event was to remind the community of the importance of exercise and healthy habits, but also serves as a fundraiser that helps local schoolchildren in need to obtain their back-to-school supplies once summer is over.
“It’s for the entire community to help them keep their New Year’s resolutions; they are starting to break right now,” said Homer Nottingham, the head organizer of Community Fitness Day. “They made some really good ones in the beginning of the year and now they are starting to drop off.”
The event, sponsored by Gold Country Kiwanis, is held annually. Nottingham said his program has been in place for 20 years and will continue to serve the community in every way possible.
“The South Yuba Club has donated the entire club from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Gold Country Kiwanis Club is doing all the work,” said Nottingham. “So they get to come in and do the auction and all the money that we raise here on these auctions, all the merchants in town gave us things to donate. They donated all kinds of gift certificates… They’re really great.”
All proceeds raised will go toward the fund—with a $15,000 goal—that will ultimately benefit kids when they are ready to go back to school.
“The district will pick the kids, then in August we will need two volunteers for each child, and there’s 80 of them so we’ll need 160 volunteers to take those kids shopping on the first Monday in August at JC Penney’s,” Nottingham said. “They give us a discount. So we buy $125 worth of clothes from the money we raise here. We get them a backpack full of school supplies. It’s just a wonderful program for the children in our community. No one is paid here; it’s all 100 percent going back to the community.”
In addition to free use of the facility even for non-members during Friday’s event, the afternoon hosted a number of speakers including Dr. Chelsea Lynch, who presented on joint health, and Dr. Andrew Thomas, a rhinologist with Dignity Health who spoke on sinus issues. Also present were the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation, Eskaton Village, and the Gold Country Senior Center, among others.
Nottingham said that there are plenty of opportunities to help the children who wil receive the JC Penney’s shopping spree.
“(People) can sponsor a child and if they can sponsor a child we’d love for them to come and take the kids shopping,” he said. “The school district picks them but the parents don’t take them shopping; they want a volunteer. We always raise money for the children and then in April we will do the World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day in Pioneer Park and that money will also go to the cause.”
Many people filled South Yuba Club for Community Fitness Day, with snacks and appetizers on hand. Nottingham said he looks forward to the yearly event as well as seeing the smile on people’s faces as they engage in their own wellness and supply kids in need.
“We’re giving the gift of health and wellness to the community,” said Nottingham.
For more information, text or phone the Gold Country Kiwanis Club at 530-263-1627.
