2 Fitness Industry Nonprofits to Support This Giving Tuesday

As the holiday season approaches, Thanksgiving feasts and retail flash sales are on everyone’s minds. And while it’s OK to indulge every now and then, once the good china is put away and your Amazon packages are in transit, it’s time to think about giving back. That’s the premise behind Giving Tuesday, the charitable social media movement that is entering its seventh year.

As you’re deciding which nonprofits your family or business will support this year, we ask you to consider two of our fitness industry organizations that could benefit from your donations.

Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS

You’ve likely heard of Augie’s Quest—Life Fitness Co-founder Augie Nieto’s effort focused on finding treatments and cures for ALS. And perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to attend the BASH for Augie's Quest, which is held each year at the IHRSA International Convention & Trade Show. The event helps raise money for the 501(c)3 nonprofit, but the need for donations doesn’t stop there.

“We know that ALS is not an incurable disease; it is simply an underfunded one,” Augie and Lynne Nieto said in a letter. “And our dedicated supporters, champions, and sponsors understand the impact this disease has on so many, and the urgency to find effective treatments and cures.”

For #GivingTuesday 2018, Augie’s Quest is seeking donations through its Facebook. Facebook, partnering with PayPay, has pledged to match up to $250,000 of donations made to eligible U.S.-based nonprofits, so this Giving Tuesday presents an especially huge opportunity to support ALS research.

There are a couple of ways you can support Augie’s Quest on November 27. If you’re interested in creating a Facebook Fundraiser, the organization has put together a handy toolkit to walk you through the steps. You can also donate to Augie’s Quest directly.

The IHRSA Foundation

Another organization that needs your support is our The IHRSA Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization working to promote good health through exercise. The foundation aims to build capacity across the health and fitness industry so fitness professionals can deliver evidence-based health programs for a wide array of disease prevention and chronic disease management purposes.

Our programs and research will be available to the general public, and support the platform adopted by IHRSA to promote the health and fitness industry as a primary solution to the physical inactivity epidemic.

Your donations will support programs like ACCESS Health: Inclusive Fitness, which aims to increase fitness opportunities for individuals with disabilities, providing them with the knowledge and skills to achieve better health. Other ACCESS Health programs focus on cancer wellness, diabetes, and chronic disease.

The ACCESS Health pilots are already making a difference for participants. “I was surprised that many machines could be adjusted to suit a wheelchair user. I wouldn't have thought it possible," said a Westpark Fitness' UFIT program participant.

There are two ways you can support the IHRSA Foundation this holiday season:

1. Donate directly at IHRSAFoundation.org
2. Use Amazon Smile when you do your holiday shopping. Simply choose the IHRSA Foundation as your charity of choice and Amazon Smile will donate on your behalf every time you shop on Amazon.com.

Thank you for considering giving to these two nonprofits this Giving Tuesday. By supporting each other, we make the industry stronger.