Burpees for Bucks, CrossFit Camden-Frontier

Hello. My name is Jeff Fisher, and I am the head trainer of CrossFit Camden-Frontier. For those who do not know what CrossFit is, it can be defined as, “constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity.” Our CrossFit program runs out of Camden-Frontier School, which is located in Camden, MI. We reside in a rural community in one K-12 building with roughly 500 students. I am raising money for our CrossFit athletes to each receive a brand new pair of Nike Metcon shoes, which are shoes specifically created for cross-training. However, there is a twist: for the athletes to receive their shoes, they will have to do burpees for each dollar raised.

Our fitness program started three years ago as Camden-Frontier Fitness. We had 1-3 athletes showing up throughout the summer and school year. As of March 2023, we became a nonprofit CrossFit affiliate. Since March, we averaged the following:

March - 13 athletes

April - 10 athletes

May - 7.5 athletes

June - 12 athletes

July - 9 athletes

August - 9 athletes

As you can tell, the program has grown quite a bit since its conception. During the school year, our program runs from 6:00 - 7:00 a.m., and during the summer, our program runs from 7:00 - 8:00 a.m. It’s amazing to see how many kids are willing to get up so early in the morning to improve their overall quality of life.

Lately, athletes have been asking me about shoes and I thought it would be a good idea to turn this into a fundraiser where they must “earn” their shoes. Yes, I’m sure some parents could buy them outright, but this makes it a little more entertaining.

The idea is this: Each pair of Nike Metcon 9 shoes runs roughly $150. Once we collect our total amount of $2,100 (14 pairs of shoes) we will then divide that amount evenly amongst the consistent gym members. In order for them to receive their share of the money for their shoes, they must perform one burpee for each dollar they receive. So, 150 burpees for their $150 shoes. We will host a special workout at our facility for them to earn their money.

While the main goal of this fundraiser is for each athlete to receive new shoes, I am hoping that this fundraising event helps other students become interested in our program. The goal is always to gain more athletes and to help as many kids as possible experience the positive, life-altering changes they can achieve by consistently attending our program.

Finally, it’s hard to describe how important and impactful our CrossFit program has been. We have some very dedicated athletes who are truly invested in their health. I think it’s important to reward those who work hard day in and day out; those who make this program what it is.

Please feel free to message me with any questions you may have.