Gold's Gym Spin-A-Thon is a Major Contributor to ADA

Only 20 people participated in the first Spin-A-Thon five years ago in an effort to raise awareness and money for the American Diabetes Association in conjunction with the Tour de Cure bike race on May 7.

Saturday at Marley Station Mall’s center court, more than 200 riders participated in the four-hour event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in an effort to battle the debilitating disease.

Gold’s Gym Group Exercise Director Kim Murphy said she has been involved since the events infancy and has seen the Spin-A-Thon grow exponentially in that time span.

“The Spin-A-Thon used to be held inside the gym,” Murphy said. “But now it has grown so big that we have to have it in the center of the mall to accommodate everyone.”

With a goal to raise $10,000 from Saturday’s event and $50,000 dollars for the ADA by May 7, Murphy is a major contributor to the ADA’s overall goal of $300,000.

Tour de Cure riders said they are using this event as their kick-off to training. Gold’s Gym is a national sponsor for the Tour de Cure event and members at the Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie as well as all Gold’s gyms are training to participate in this worthy cause to raise money but more importantly awareness for this devastating disease.

Those that registered, such as Courtney Curran, who has been blind since birth due to diabetes, received a goody bag, a T-shirt and said she had a great time. According to Murphy, the event gives those a good feeling inside and out because you’re getting a good workout and doing something for a great cause. “It’s a win-win situation.”

“I think it’s great and a good idea,” said Curran, who was there with her friend April, a Gold’s member. “It’s a good cause. My great grandmother on my dad’s side has diabetes, so this is great.”

Gold’s Gym members—including groups from Crofton and Bowie—as well as several non-members were led by gym instructors who donated their time to the cause as well as other staff members that ran the raffle tables and helped with set up.

Participants paid $20 per hour to ride and several signed up to ride for the entire four hours. Most of the money raised will come from the riders, but Murphy said she also hoped to raise funds through raffling off two iPads, by selling tickets to a bull-roast, selling T-shirts and spin the wheel chances and by selling tickets for a silent auction.

But another goal was to get more riders involved in the Tour de Cure bike race on May 7.

“For us it’s about recruiting,” said Ali Tighe, manager of special events for the ADA. Her job since joining the company five months ago is to get companies, corporations and individuals involved in the race.

“If you recruit more riders the more fundraising they’ll bring and of course the more that company gets engaged and involved.”

Tighe anticipates having more than 700 riders on site for the Tour de Cure race. To date she said the ADA has raised $60,000 which is a good place for their efforts, and are ahead of the game with about 400 registered riders.  

“Of course with events like this it only brings more riders and gets more people engaged,” said Tighe.

Tighe has engaged companies such as M&T Bank and Kelly Benefits Strategies to participate in a Executive Corporate Breakfast Kick-Off to get companies to raise awareness, and to get fit by riding together, which in turn leads to team-building, promotes a healthy active lifestyle and according to Tighe “it’s for a great cause.”