What Started As Holiday Workouts For Charity Became A Community Mission
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities personal trainer has banded together with her many clients to make Christmas special for dozens of people.
Molly Doyle began a simple holiday fundraiser this month. She would give 25 days of workouts for $25. She raised nearly $10,000.
"It's almost unbelievable to even say that," Doyle said. "Brings tears to my eyes."
Through her efforts, 14 families in need received presents for their Christmas trees and food to fill their refrigerators.
She took some of the surplus money and handed out $100 bills to strangers.
Since then, Doyle's fitness clients and friends are giving out cash and gift cards in their communities.
"It's just spreading everywhere and I'm hearing these amazing stories," she said.
Doyle says one of the families she helped had only a Christmas tree and a folding chair in their living room. It was their first house. The mother and her four children had been homeless for years.
A call to action to Doyle's network supplied a new bed and enough donations to fully furnish the place.
Doyle is planning the delivery for Sunday.
"I truly believe that when you put good out in the world, good will come back," she said. "We're just really happy to be able to give back the way we have been and nothing's going to change that for us, not even a pandemic."
Christmas Day put a bow on the 25-day workout streak.
Doyle says she thought about letting her clients off the hook for the holiday, but put them through the ringer anyway.
