“Freedom isn’t free!” shouted head football coach Tom Sanford to the 125 members of the Quarterback’s Strength, Speed and Agility team. “You are here this morning getting faster and stronger, in part, because of these wonderful volunteers – but more importantly – we are all here because of the men and women in our nation’s Armed Forces who have sacrificed their lives in order to preserve ours!”
Sanford’s message kicked off the third annual Strength and Honor Lift-a-Thon fundraising drive. Strength and Honor is July 27 and 28 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Aitkin High School. The event is open to the public and free of charge.
Strength and Honor was established in 2014 as a way for area student-athletes to give back to their community. The coaching staff transformed the concept of a walk-a-thon to something that could be used in strength training. Participants in the Quarterback’s Strength, Speed and Agility program who are in eighth grade or older have an opportunity to showcase their strength while honoring veterans through fundraising for local service organizations.
Scoring for the lift-a-thon is based on a total of the maximum lifts from the bench, squat and clean. That total is divided by the lifter’s body weight. According to the coaching staff, this is a true measure of an athlete’s overall strength.
In 2014, Strength and Honor raised $7,500 for American Legion Post 86 and, in 2015, $10,000 was raised for VFW Post 1727. This summer’s proceeds will be donated to the American Legion again.
“I am continually amazed each day by the drive of a few to inspire the masses to make their community better,” commented Dr. Austin Krohn, a family medicine physician at Riverwood Healthcare Center with a sports medicine fellowship. “The vision of the strength, speed and agility program to make our athletes stronger, faster and safer has grown beyond the team goals and inspired so many community members, coaches and parents to work together for a common purpose.”
Quarterback’s Strength, Speed and Agility was designed by like-minded coaches with assistance from health care professionals with an emphasis on sports medicine. Together Sanford, along with head coaches Jeremy Janzen, Rob Williams, Jason Henke and Larry Liljenquist, offer a program that promotes fitness for the whole athlete.
The coaching staff put together an array of parent volunteers who work with the student-athletes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 7-9 a.m. The regular volunteers include: Krista Anderson, Scott Miller, Shawn Henkle, Kellie Janzen, Gina Ostrowski, Tiffany Kullhem, Stacy Westerlund, Ann Kukowski, Tara Snyder, Alan Hills and Chris Meirose. Alumni Dan Bender, Alex Gaulke, Hunter Sanford and Austin Burton also volunteer.
“We preach about fitness and dedication in the off-season to keep our athletes safe and avoid common injuries that occur when student’s return to their fall sports after having the summer off,” concluded Krohn, a volunteer baseball and football coach in Aitkin who assists with the strength, speed, and agility program. “This in an innovative off-season program available because of the incredible vision of a few and the hard work of many. We should feel proud to have such a program in our little town of Aitkin.”
How to Donate
The Strength and Honor fundraising drive will run from July 20-28. Please make checks payable to American Legion Post 86 and write lift-a-thon in the memo. Donations may be given to participants or brought to the lift-a-thon July 27 or 28.
Source: http://www.messagemedia.co/aitkin/sports/schools/strength-and-honor-to-give-back-to-community/article_f9b2d710-4df9-11e6-857f-cf09878d849f.html
