Local Athletes Break a Sweat For Area Students

WAITE PARK -- Several athletes will be working out for a cause in Waite Park Saturday.

The first ever Lifting for Lunches campaign is designed to raise money for students with negative lunch accounts.

Organizer Brandon Hemenz says his cause is something he's wanted to do for some time.

"I felt this pull at my heart to pursue it and I knew I didn't have the financial situation to do it. So I came up with lifting for lunches where you get a few buddies together, raise money and perform reps for the amount of money you raise."

Athletes will be doing repetitions of either deadlifts, squats or bench press for every dollar they raise. Hemenz says there is still time to register a team or donate to the cause.

"We have a GoFundMe page, if you want to show up at the fundraiser to donate you can. We will have different apparel people can buy with some of the proceeds from those sales going back to Lifting for Lunches."

Team registration forms can be picked up at Flat Iron Nutrition in St. Cloud or Health For Life in Waite Park.

The event will take place at Max Effort Fitness in Waite Park at 10:00 a.m. The money raised tomorrow will go to help the students at Oak Ridge Elementary.

Hemenz says he hopes to continue this fundraiser on an annual basis to help other central Minnesota schools facing this problem.