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Spin-A-Thon Will Benefit Aaron’s Acres  Photo by Dayna M. Reidenouer By Dayna M. Reidenouer Lancaster Events To Support People In Need (LETSPIN) will donate the proceeds from its ninth Spin-A-Thon to Aaron’s Acres, a community-based organization that aids children ages 5 to 21 with special needs and their families. The Spin-A-Thon will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, in Millersville University’s Brooks Gymnasium, located on Hemlock Lane in Millersville. Approximately 140 stationary bicycles from fitness centers around Lancaster County will fill the gymnasium. Participants may sign up to ride for one to eight hours as local certified instructors lead them through a series of riding drills. Music will be played throughout each time slot as a motivation aid. According to the organization’s Web site, www.spin-a-thon.net, there is much variety in teaching styles and music selection. Group or indoor cycling is a highly aerobic exercise program with three major components: a warm-up phase, a heart-driving aerobic phase, and a cool-down period at the end of each class. Classes can range from relatively easy and geared for beginners to quite intense for competitive outdoor cyclists. Attendees can also vary the intensity of their workouts by adjusting their pedaling resistance and/or their pedaling speed, depending on their individual fitness level and training goals. “It’s a very intense workout. I can’t believe people do this for eight hours,” remarked Aaron’s Acres director Risa Paskoff. Prizes will be awarded to the participants who ride the longest and who raise the most money. The event will also include a team competition. Teams may be formed of any number of participants, all of whom must be registered individually. They will compete for prizes based on total hours ridden and total money raised for Aaron’s Acres. Proceeds from the Spin-A-Thon will go directly into Aaron’s Acres’ operations in Lancaster County, Paskoff said. She noted that this summer’s day camp program will include a new component for older special needs campers. The Aaron’s Acres Acts of Kindness pilot program will give a small group of teens the opportunity to give back to the community. “They will learn skills and responsibility,” Paskoff said, adding that service opportunities might include working at a food pantry. If the pilot program is successful, Acts of Kindness may be expanded in the future. Ultimately, the day camp would run for a full day for all ages instead of just a few hours each morning. “Our goal is extending the camp day,” Paskoff said. “Parents have said they want the longer days, and kids need the interaction (with their peers) instead of sitting at home.” Fundraisers like the Spin-A-Thon will help Aaron’s Acres reach that goal and allow more children with special needs to attend day camp through the help of scholarships. For more information about Aaron’s Acres, including registration forms for summer day camp, readers may visit www.aaronsacres.org. The deadline to register to participate in the Spin-A-Thon is Sunday, Feb. 21. A complete list of indoor cycling instructors and directions for the event are listed at www.spin-a-thon.net. For additional registration information, to contribute, or to volunteer, individuals may contact Larry Sciuchetti at 399-7778 or larry@spin-a-thon.net . Millersville Advertiser - 02/10/2010 Conestoga Valley-Pequea Valley Penny Saver - 02/17/2010 Elizabethtown-Mount Joy Merchandiser - 02/17/2010 |
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