Gas City Crossfit working out to give kids toys come Christmas

By JAMES TUBB on November 18, 2021.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

Kaine and Britteny Dick will be working up a sweat next week as they raise donations for Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund.

The married couple, who own and run Gas City Crossfit, will be partaking in the club’s fifth annual 24-hour workout to raise toy donations for the Santa Claus Fund.

The event starts on Friday Nov. 26 at 10:15 a.m. and runs for 24 consecutive hours. They will work out in six-hour increments, and have rotating shifts – which allows them small periods of rest and recovery while still putting in 12 hours worth of crossfit workouts that their clients will have picked out for them over the course of a single day.

Kaine says the idea came about five years ago when former trainer Charlie Bruce decided he was going to give back to the community by working out and getting toy donations for kids. Dick says he’s taken over since Bruce was deployed and wanted to give back to his hometown.

“I have lived here my whole life, my wife has lived here for her whole life, so we just feel like we need to give back to the community and what better than kids,” Kaine said. “We have kids ourselves and they get a Christmas so we figured we should keep giving kids Christmas as well.”

He welcomes anyone to come drop off toys at Gas City Crossfit and estimates they currently have 15 toys to be donated.

Last year, Kaine says they did 45 workouts over the 24 hours and hope to meet and exceed that number this year. He says it’s nice to see the support from the community and their clients throughout the charitable event.

“Our community jumps in too, I have clients showing up at 1 a.m. to work out with me. Last year we had clients every hour working out with us,” he said. “It’s just nice that they contribute for the toys for the kids but they also cheer us on and come work out with us as well.”

Dick says they were able to sneak in last year’s event just before the province locked down due to COVID-19. He says the most difficult time comes in the middle of the night when it’s almost done.

“When it’s 3-4 a.m. and you know it’s almost done but you have another six hours left, that’s a grindy part,” he said.

But Kaine says no matter how difficult, it’s easier than the idea of kids not getting something come Christmas morning.

“The main thing is kids are having a Christmas and they’re getting a present, that’s all that matters,” Kaine said. “As a parent with two boys, being not able to give them anything during Christmas, it would be hard to explain to them why we can’t give them presents. This way, at least a mom or dad can give their kid a present and make their day special.”

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