Marion and Delaware CrossFit gyms compete to "Raise The Bar" for foster children

Sophia Veneziano, Marion Star
·4 min read
Participants from Marion's Pure Function CrossFit competed against Delaware Fit Factory for the "Raise The Bar" fundraiser benefitting foster care families through Be The Village Marion.
Participants from Marion's Pure Function CrossFit competed against Delaware Fit Factory for the "Raise The Bar" fundraiser benefitting foster care families through Be The Village Marion.

Raising money with the same dedication they raise weights, Marion's Pure Function CrossFit and Delaware Fit Factory competed to see who could raise more money - and more pounds - to benefit Be The Village Marion, an organization supporting local foster care families.

Over the weekend, members of both gyms tested their maximum weight in a "CrossFit Total," consisting of three lifting exercises, back squat, shoulder press and deadlift, to see which gym was stronger and could raise more money.

With a goal of raising $4,000 to provide foster children and families with memberships to the Columbus Zoo, the two gym locations went above and beyond, raising $8,826 online as of Saturday.

As the donations poured in Saturday, it seemed that Delaware Fit Factory was taking the lead, contributing almost $500 more toward the grand total, but a few last donations were expected to trickle in over the weekend.

Before walking around the studio to hype of the participants, Tim Prater, owner of Marion's Pure Function CrossFit, said the competition with Delaware Fit Factory was friendly in nature.

Tim Prater, Owner of Marion's Pure Function CrossFit, readies himself for the "Raise The Bar" lifting fundraiser Saturday.
Tim Prater, Owner of Marion's Pure Function CrossFit, readies himself for the "Raise The Bar" lifting fundraiser Saturday.

"We have a really nice relationship with Delaware Fit Factory. Doug there is a good coach, he's a really good guy, so they've been good to team up with," he said.

Competition aside, Prater said his team was looking forward to the challenge and opportunity to help the community.

"It was a really fun way for us to try and collect some money and everybody got to go out and test themselves at the same time. It was fun to do something simple that could benefit so many," he said.

Going to help Be the Village Marion, the money above the $4,000 goal will cover transportation costs, meals and other needs, such as books and school supplies.

The organization works to support foster families of Marion county and engage children’s birth families to break cycles of abuse and neglect. It was the creation of MarionMade!'s Elizabeth Moore and Joy Fetter in May of 2020.

In 2021, Fetter won a one-time grant to purchase zoo memberships for foster families in Marion.

Wishing to be able to provide the same opportunities for kids this year, she racked her brain to figure out a way to raise the money again.

Both a member at Delaware Fit Factory and an active member in the Marion community, Fetter put the two together and the "Raise the Bar" competition was born.

Before she worked for MarionMade!, Moore worked for Marion County Children Services, where she grew a passion for helping Marion's youth in crisis.

Elizabeth Moore, a coach at Pure Function CrossFit, participates in the "Raise The Bar" fundraiser for Be The Village Marion, an organization she helped launch.
Elizabeth Moore, a coach at Pure Function CrossFit, participates in the "Raise The Bar" fundraiser for Be The Village Marion, an organization she helped launch.

Along with writing MarionMade! stories and helping in the Marion community, Moore is also a coach at Pure Function, where she has been a member since 2017.

Through this fundraiser, Moore joined her passions for supporting children in the foster care system and helping people on their fitness journeys.

"When people picture CrossFit, they picture someone who is so incredibly fit they can bench-press a house and do all these amazing things, and they don't realize that CrossFit is for every person," she said.

During the competition, the Pure Function members showed up to push themselves, Moore explained, with the incentive of helping the community encouraging lifters to attempt new personal records.

"It's fun, it is. We had several people get PR's, personal records, today. Especially in this environment you can push yourself a little farther than you thought you could, like we had a girl this morning whose weight on the deadlift was a weight that she had failed earlier, so she was nervous about trying it - but she got it," Moore said.

Participants in the weightlifting event were asked to contribute a minimum of $25 to the fundraiser. The Marion and Delaware communities showed up to provide the rest, who could either pledge to donate on a per pound basis or by making a one-time donation.

Erin Slater and her husband Jerrod Slater participated in the "Raise The Bar" CrossFit fundraiser for foster care families.
Erin Slater and her husband Jerrod Slater participated in the "Raise The Bar" CrossFit fundraiser for foster care families.

For one participant, Erin Slater, though this is her second time participating in a CrossFit Total, this year was special because of the impact of the fundraiser and the fact the special event allowed her to lift with a different group of friends than normal.

"I've helped with the Be The Village Group in a couple different ways, gathering food, getting donations, just different things for foster families and kinship families as well, so the money is going to a great cause, and so I love that they put this on to bring awareness to that," Slater said.

For more information about the "Raise The Bar" challenge visit the Pure Function CrossFit or Delaware Fit Factory Facebook pages.

Story by: Sophia Veneziano (740) 564 - 5243 | sveneziano@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion and Delaware CrossFit gyms raise money for foster care families