Philadelphia

Losing Weight For Charity, is a big gain for Participants in the Challenge

April 17, 2012 by HughE Dillon 2 Comments

On Jan. 10, four GLBT community members signed up to participate in a project to lose weight
and raise money for the GLBT community.

The brain child of Frannie Price, below in the black shirt, came to her one day after she climb the stairs at her house and needed to catch her breath.  It was then she decided it was time to take care of her health.  She contacted her friends at Optimal Sports and told them what she wanted to do and they quickly got on board, lose weight while also raising money for charity.  A pledge for pounds.  Then Phila Gay News signed up as the media sponsor, first finding additional participants, then helping organized the group, getting a bank account, starting a paypal account and getting the word out. Then the 4 participants did the hard part. Each one was assigned to 4 gyms around town, given a trainer and coached on an eating program. 
Micah Mahjoubian, CEO, Soapbox Solutions (Fusion Cross-Training). Debbie Spadefora (12th Street Gym), Administrative manager, Woody’s and Voyeur, Franny Price (Optimal Sports Health Clubs), Executive director, Philly Pride Presents and Dan Calhoun (Move Forward Fitness) Director of advertising and marketing, PGN 

I’ve known Debbie Spadefora (r) for about 25 years, and Frannie Price for 20 years. It’s really inspirational for me to see them do so well. After three months, both ladies lost over 40lbs, and its Each one is relishing in the joy of their new found energy, the support they are getting and the weight they have shed. It’s a real inspiration for me, someone who as you know really has to get on the ball and put my health first and lose some serious poundage.  BTW The guys aren’t too shabby either with Micah losing 38lbs and Dan at 22lbs. Together they have raised $12,500.  These days Frannie walks the block and a half to the bank, when the old Frannie would have just go in the car.  Frannie went on to talk about the many things we as fat people must do to just do every day things, it’s difficult to hear, but is a reality, like going to restaurants that have booths were the tables are fixed to the wall (ie Little Pete’s on 17th Street) and making sure they chairs will hold our weights. It’s hard to fathom why we let ourselves get to that weight, and then stay there. Ugh

The proceeds from the loss poundage will be evenly distributed among Philly Pride
Presents, The Attic Youth Center and the William Way LGBT Community
Center.

 Carrie Jacobs, The Attic Youth Center, Michael, William Way, and Denise, Philly Pride Presents

Read more: PGN-The Philadelphia Gay News. Phila gay news. philly news – Weigh It Forward
Check out my Philly Mag column yesterday for the Girard College Gala I attended over the weekend.