Chicago-area friends Katie Arnold and Samantha Laufer recently quit their jobs and embarked on a yearlong journey of fundraising and fitness across the United States, stopping by Jefferson City on Sunday to lead a fundraiser.
The two 20-somethings paired up with the local CrossFit Unstoppable gym to raise $175 (so far) for Feeding Families Inc., which supplies poor families in America with healthy food.
Debbie Rosslan, owner of CrossFit Unstoppable, said she agreed to the fundraiser after the two contacted her. "Any time that kind of stuff is out there and I know it's going to help the community, I want to get my hands on it," she said. "I just want a chance to help."
Each month, the local gym takes on a charitable cause. Last month, its members donated 405 cans of food to the Samaritan Center.
Arnold and Laufer teamed with Sweat Angels for their charity work, and Feeding Families is this month's beneficiary organization. They also have sponsors to help defray their travel/living expenses.
They travel in a small RV, which contains a kitchen area so they can keep a focus on nutrition.
Missouri is the fifth state the two have visited, and they're conducting their fundraisers mostly at CrossFit gyms through their WODs - workouts of the day.
"We wanted to find a way to give back to others," Laufer said. "It's not easy by any means, and we'll continue to have our trials."