She Rocks Fitness has raised over $7000 for The Pet Rescue Center, a Mission Viejo non-profit animal rescue organization. The all-women’s gym, with locations in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, hosted “Burpees For Bow Wows” on Saturday, June 1, with proceeds benefitting The Pet Rescue Center.
There were approximately 30 participants doing burpees on Saturday morning at Westmont Park, a Fountain Valley city park adjacent to one of the She Rocks locations. Volunteer event coordinator, Kelly Broberg, a She Rocks member, has a rescue dog of her own, Jack. “I’m celebrating my 40th birthday and was reflecting on all that I have in my life,” commented Broberg. “I wanted to do something for a cause I care about. And dog rescue is something I care about.”
Initially, Broberg was just planning on collecting much-needed pet supplies for a rescue. But, then she and She Rocks Fitness Owner/Trainer Michael Sperling came up with the idea of “Burpees for Bow Wows” and Broberg presented it to The Pet Rescue Center. It turned out to be a very successful effort. “I was amazed by the support of my fellow She-Rockers,” explained Broberg. “I’m happy that we were able to do so much for such a great cause.” The Pet Rescue Center is especially dear to Broberg, whose parents recently adopted a 6-year-old Chow-Shepherd mix from the organization.
She Rock’s Sperling is very supportive of the gym members engaging in charitable causes. Sperling, who did 260 burpees in a 10 minute period, rescued his dog Kula from a shelter. Kula had her own ‘fundraising page’ online, and Sperling agreed to do one burpee for each $5 raised, which brought in over $1300 for The Pet Rescue Center. Participants raised funds online prior to the event, and t-shirts, raffle tickets, and paw print necklaces were sold to bring in additional money. She Rock Fitness members also donated several boxes of pet supplies, which were collected at the gym throughout the month of May.
Casey Oliver, Director of Operations at The Pet Rescue Center, was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. “This just doesn’t happen…$7,000,” exclaimed Oliver. “We could not be more grateful for what they’ve accomplished and for their support of our rescues.” Funds will go to support The Pet Rescue Center’s Rescue.Rehab.Rehome program, which saves dogs and cats from unnecessary euthanasia at high-kill shelters. These pets are then provided with a veterinarian-supervised temporary sanctuary, while they work to find an adopting family for them.
“Burpees” participants enjoyed fruit, muffins, water, and Starbucks coffee, all donated for the event. There were also agility and Frisbee dog demonstrations provided by David Arnobit of Active Dog Adventures. Arnobit, owner of 4 rescues, has recently begun providing his services as a volunteer dog trainer at The Pet Rescue Center.
The Pet Rescue Center, located inside Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has successfully saved and adopted out more than 600 dogs and cats in the past five years. To view their adoptable cats and dogs, to volunteer, or to make a donation, please visit them online at www.thepetrescuecenter.org or call 877.277.7938.
