CrossFit Torque & Kettlebells4Kids

The Boston Celtics support CrossFit athletes as they sweat it out to help homeless children. During the week of August 23-30, hundreds of CrossFit athletes across the state will kick off the first annual kettlebells4kids fundraiser to raise awareness around the growing issue of family homelessness in Massachusetts and to support Horizons for Homeless Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of homeless children and their families. The Boston Celtics are the first Boston sports team to endorse this week-long event to be held at CrossFit affiliates throughout Massachusetts. "CrossFit athletes are a tight knit community just as the Boston Celtics are. We are supporting the kettlebells4kids fundraiser to help raise awareness concerning the rising issue of child and family homelessness across our state," commented Rich Gotham, Team President of the Boston Celtics. Reebok is also a key sponsor of kettlebells4kids based on its long-term partnership with the CrossFit community and its annual support of other CrossFit fundraisers such as Barbells for Boobs.
CrossFit gyms encourage both members and non-members to sign up to participate in the workout or show their support by making a donation at www.kettlebells4kids.org. The CrossFit workout of the day (WOD) features separate workouts for adults and children consisting of a series of moves that have been developed with three important statistics everyone should know about child and family homelessness:

• The average age of a homeless person in Massachusetts is just 8 years old.
• From 2007 - 2013, Massachusetts has seen an 81% increase in the number of homeless family members, the second highest increase in any state in the nation.
• A homeless child is 8 times more likely to be asked to repeat a grade in school.

"Each week Horizons for Homeless Children serves over 2,000 children in our three Boston-based early education centers and over 150 Playspaces which are located in family shelters across the Commonwealth, some are right here in your region," explains Dianne Luby, President and CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children. "We are so grateful that the CrossFit community and the Boston Celtics recognize that every child deserves to have a place to call home." To learn more about Horizons for Homeless Children visit www.horizonschildren.org. To learn more about  kettlebells4kids  and for press photos visit http://www.kettlebells4kids.org. 16 CrossFit affiliates signed up to date.