Walking for A Hand Up For Women

Knoxville, TN -- June 2015 -- For the past four years Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville has worked closely with the local non-profit A Hand Up For Women (AHUFW),  a life-management and job-readiness program that brings dignity, self-confidence, and hope to women who might otherwise remain trapped in addiction, abuse, poverty, and despair. Through the annual Hot to Trot Thanksgiving Day races, Fleet Feet Knoxville has been able to donate over $23,000 to their cause, thereby providing the funding for classes, mentoring, fellowship, and spiritual development. In 2014, FFK begin offering scholarships to AHUFW participants for their Walk Fit training program.  Although AHUFW endeavors to address every aspect of a woman’s life, physical fitness has been a substantial gap in their services. Through the scholarships, several women have been able to feel firsthand the true meaning of the Fleet Feet training motto, Change Everything.   

Each year, the Fleet Feet Sports corporate office provides grants to select stores to help them further their community service efforts. Recipients of the grant are chosen based on the impact they will have on the community, and this year Fleet Feet Knoxville was awarded with a grant of $2,500. FFK plans to continue the Walk Fit scholarship program, but take it a step further in fall 2015. The upcoming program will be specifically for AHUFW participants in order to create individualized training plans to help these women make their health priority. It is FFK’s hope that by making physical fitness a larger part of the program, not only will these women benefit from the increased self-esteem and better quality of life regular exercise brings, but it will also inspire them to be better role models within their families and communities. Fleet Feet and AHUFW believe that neglecting one’s health and wellness tend to be a generational issue, and as such the AHUFW Walk Fit will be open to family members as well.

With the grant, FFK not only has the means to create a new program at no cost to the participants, but will also be able to provide these women with high-quality workout gear and footwear so they can exercise comfortably and in style. Transportation for those who need it will also be covered by Fleet Feet Knoxville, thereby removing two of the biggest obstacles many of these women face when attempting to begin a new exercise routine.

Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville sincerely hopes that this new program will have a positive impact on these women’s lives, and looks forward to sharing their message of health and wellness with a growing community.

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Media Contact:
Katlyn Gagnier
Katlyn Gagnier, Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville
865-675-3338
marketing@fleetfeetknoxville.com