LA Fitness Hosts Special Classes To Help Find Cure For Lou Gehrig's Disease

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of Augie's Quest, LA Fitness announced today that it will host an in-club Group Fitness class at more than 500 of the company's locations on February 22, 2014. Augie's Quest is a nonprofit research initiative dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  LA Fitness has donated to Augie's Quest for several years, and this year's fundraiser marks the fourth in-club event the company has held in support of this worthy cause.

LA Fitness will donate 100% of the proceeds from the event to the Muscular Dystrophy Association's ALS research initiative. ALS is a progressive motor neuron disease that causes complete paralysis. Approximately 5,600 people are diagnosed with ALS each year, affecting as many as 30,000 Americans at any given time. Survival is typically three to five years after diagnosis, and no cure currently exists for the disease.

In March 2005, Augie Nieto, a prominent leader in the fitness industry, was diagnosed with ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Despite the limitations of the disease, Augie continues to lead an active life and is an activist for others fighting the disease. After his diagnosis, Augie coped with his illness by drawing strength from his family, friends and a flood of letters and emails from supporters. Realizing that he could use his voice to raise awareness for others, Augie teamed up with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and created "Augie's Quest." With the sole purpose of finding a cure for ALS, the team he assembled to fight the disease and find a cure holds to one mission: identify the genetic basis of the disease in order to seek a treatment.

"We are pleased to participate and provide access to both members and non-members for this event. They get to experience a great class, in a great club and contribute to a great cause. Truly a win, win all the way around," said Bill Horner, Senior Vice President/Chief Real Estate Officer at LA Fitness.

"I hope that this campaign increases awareness for ALS and encourages people to get active for those of us that can no longer work out. We are grateful for our partnership with LA Fitness and the generosity of your members will help us get closer to a cure," said Augie Nieto, co-chair of MDA's ALS Division and chairman of Octane Fitness^®. For full content of this interview, visit the official blog article prepared by LA Fitness; http://blog.lafitness.com/2014/02/12/get-active-for-als-and-augies-quest/

The event is open to both members and non-members for a minimum donation of $5 in support of Augie's Quest. For more information on the event and information regarding how to make a donation, please visit: www.augiesquest.org/lafitness.

Media Contact:
Media Relations
[email protected]

About LA Fitness
Founded in 1984, LA Fitness is one of the fastest growing sports club chains in the U.S. and presently has more than 500 locations in 22 states and Canada. LA Fitness' mission is to help as many people as possible achieve the benefits of a healthy lifestyle by creating a nationwide network of sports clubs, offering its members the widest range of amenities and the friendliest service at an affordable price. To learn more about LA Fitness and to find the club nearest to you, visit www.lafitness.com or call (800) LA FITNESS.

About Augie's Quest
Fitness pioneer Augie Nieto started Augie's Quest (augiesquest.org) in conjunction with MDA's ALS Division. Nieto is co-founder and former president of Life Fitness of Chicago, and chairman of Octane Fitness. Augie's Quest raises money primarily through a variety of special events, including: BASH for Augie's Quest; Tradition of Hope in Los Angeles; Big Canyon Golf in Newport Beach, Calif.; ClubCorp Charity Classic at golf clubs nationwide; and Clubs for the Quest, a program that allows various fitness clubs across the country to engage their members in fundraising programs and events to benefit MDA's Augie's Quest.

About MDA
MDA (mda.org) is the world's leading nongovernmental provider of ALS services and funder of ALS research. Over the years, MDA has led the fight against ALS, investing more than $290 million in its ALS research, services and information programs. People with ALS can be seen at 200 MDA clinics across the country, including 41 MDA/ALS centers. The Association's research, health care services, advocacy and education programs provide help and hope to more than 1 million Americans affected by more than 40 other progressive neuromuscular diseases. For the latest research news and information about ALS and the other diseases in MDA's program, visit mda.org and follow MDA on Facebook (facebook.com/MDANational) and Twitter (@MDAnews).

SOURCE LA Fitness

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED