Mother’s Day is usually the one day where the family matriarch gets to sleep in; if she’s lucky, she might even be treated to a haphazardly-prepared breakfast in bed. But on this recent Mother’s Day, Massapequa moms instead filled up a local exercise studio bright and early in the morning to help support a worthwhile charity.
AMP — which stands for Active Movement and Performance — made a strong statement in Massapequa exercise scene when they first opened their doors at 125 Front Street one year ago. AMP co-owner Chris Cooper of Seaford (who operates the business partner Adam DiBella, a Mineola resident) said that his gym’s unique approach to fitness is not just concentrating on working out hard, but doing it the right way to avoid simply wasting effort.
Cooper noted that AMP has gone from 40-50 members from when they initially opened their doors to about 200 now; clearly, the community has had a good response to this new business, and as a way to give back to that community, Cooper and DiBella decided to organize a fundraiser they dubbed “Mother’s Day Bootcamp,” a strenuous early-morning workout class with the proceeds going to the Crissy Fox Foundation.
“Crissy Fox was a Massapequa mom who passed away this past January from breast cancer,” Cooper said. “Her sister, sister-in-law, and nieces are all members here, so when we wanted to come up with an idea for a Mother’s Day charity event, we wanted to benefit something local…so, people show up, donate whatever they want, and get a good workout in. In addition, we also have ten raffles that have been donated by generous local businesses as well, and everything goes to the Crissy Fox Foundation.”
Lisa O’Rourke of Massapequa was one of the many attendees of AMP’s Mother’s Day Bootcamp, and she said that she was up early and working up a sweat on a Sunday morning all in the name of supporting a great cause.
“I just thought it was a great way to spend Mother’s Day,” she said. “I knew Crissy Fox and she was a beautiful person, and I wanted to spend the day thinking of her and her great foundation…and working out, too!”
Crissy Fox’s sister, Sue Meindl, was naturally very affected by the great show of support that the Massapequa community was showing for her sibling, who had lost a long, hard battle with breast cancer only a few short months ago.
“Crissy was sick for about six years…she got better, and then four years later the cancer returned, and spread to her brain and…everywhere,” she said. “Today is especially emotional, because I work out here at AMP and these are all my friends who have shown up for the fundraiser…there are at least 60 people here. I even had friends from New Jersey come! It’s wonderful to see so much support.”
Meindl said that her nephew had started the Crissy Fox Foundation in his late mother’s name; its purpose is to raise money to assist other families in the Massqapequa area who are going through similar circumstances involving a sick loved one.
“My sister was an amazing, beautiful person,” she said. “Everyone loved her… she had such spirit, and she fought to the very end. She was a beautiful person, and I miss her very much.”
The fundraiser ended up generating $2,100 for the Crissy Fox Foundation; if you wish to find out more about this charity, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/crissyfoxfoundation.
To find out more about AMP, visit their website at http://www.amp-training.com.
