Ayla Donlin sported a colorful turkey hat while instructing students on speed and form during a pre-thanksgiving spin session. In between spins, she got off her bike to motivate participants and even performed the “Gangnam Style” dance as the rest peddled away.
Donlin, a lecturer in the kinesiology department, lead the beginning hour of the first ever Thanksgiving-themed Spin-a-thon titled “Spin and Give” at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center yesterday. The event was aimed at gathering canned food to donate to Food Finders, a food bank program.
“It’s good people, for a good cause, having a good time,” Donlin said several times while spinning to keep participants motivated.
According to Maureen MacRae, fitness coordinator at the fitness center, the “Spin and Give” event was created because “Sweat for a Vet” – the national Spin-a-thon sponsored by the group Project Visibility, which raises money for veterans with disabilities – didn’t take place this year.
“The past two years we’ve done an annual ‘Sweat for a Vet’ Spin-a-thon,” Macrae said, “but since [Project Visibility] is not having one this year, we decided to do one for Thanksgiving, and we’re kind of promoting it by saying, ‘Get your Thanksgiving workout in before you eat all that Thanksgiving food.'”
Participants who took part in the three-hour-long event were required to donate one can of non-perishable food for every hour that they rode and were eligible to win raffle prizes at the end of each hour-long session, MacRae said.
“We’re giving away t-shirts, water bottles, a Timex watch, gift bags and for those who donate five cans are eligible to win our grand prize, which is a brand new 3G bike,” she said.
About 27 people participated in the first hour of the spinning.
“I think the event is a really cool combination of charity and giving to others, while also getting to give to themselves,” Donlin said. “They get to take care of themselves with health and fitness.”
Lead personal trainer for the SRWC and exercise science major Tony Nunez, who helped in organizing the “Spin and Give,” said he was hoping to participate in the event for two hours.
“It’s a great event. You get to donate food and burn some calories before you go home for your big Thanksgiving feast,” Nunez said.
Prior to the event, MacRae said they were hoping to collect at least 100 cans in donations at the end.
“As far as collecting the canned food, I think we exceeded what our expectations were,” she said. “I think we may even be close to 200 cans of food, which is really good for our first Thanksgiving Spin-a-thon.”
