The new owners of a local fitness center are holding a fundraiser next weekend to benefit the families of five officers killed in the line of duty in Dallas last summer.
CrossFit Rye Canyon hopes to raise at least $1,500 for the families of four Dallas Police Department officers and one member of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit force, said co-owner Ernie Bolanos.
“Being a new owner of CrossFit Rye Canyon, I’m looking to get the community involved with fitness and giving back because we’re all about making positive lifelong physical, mental and social changes,” Bolanos said. “This fundraiser for the Dallas Five shows our commitment to exercising our bodies and spirit to support a worthy cause.”
Bolanos, a State Farm insurance agent, is the only one of the facility’s co-owners whose day job is not in law enforcement. Jose Barajas and Mike Pobokhian serve on the Glendale Police Department, while Amy Phan also works in law enforcement.
A federal law enforcement officer who is a member of CrossFit Rye Canyon and has close connections to officers and families in Dallas was the impetus for the local club to participate in the fundraiser.
“We’re hoping to see everyone from law enforcement, first responders, local cross-fitters and the general public,” Barajas said. “The great thing about the law enforcement family is that it comes together in a time of need and that is what we are trying to do here.”
Participants will take part in a special workout of the day, and are asked to contribute a $15 donation. Proceeds will be given to the families of the fallen officers through the Halo Fund, a tax-exempt non-profit that provides financial services and support to the families of the Dallas police officers killed in the line of duty.
CrossFit Heat in Dallas will be hosting its own event the same day.
CrossFit Rye Canyon, located at 25427 Rye Canyon Road, is one of three independently owned CrossFit gyms in the Santa Clarita Valley. There are about 13,000 CrossFit-affiliated locations around the world, of which close to 6,500 are in the United States.
CrossFit combines physical exercise and competitive sport with workouts that combine interval training, weightlifting, and gymnastics. It was founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000.
