Brick Kickboxing Event To Aid MA22's Life-Saving Mission For Vets

BRICK, NJ — A local kickboxing gym has teams up with a veterans organization for a fundraising event to help bring awareness to the epidemic of suicide among veterans.

The gym, 9Round, will be hosting Operation Kick It, a fundraiser to support Ma Deuce Deuce, Ma22, an Ocean County nonprofit that works to help veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder get the assistance and support they need.

Operation Kick iT is a get-fit-not-hit kind of event. You will have a 15-minute briefing on basic kickboxing moves prior to entering the gym. Then trainers and volunteers will guide you through a nine-station circuit workout. Each station is 3 minutes long and there’s a 30-second active rest between each station. You’ll complete the entire workout in 30 minutes.

Anyone 16 and older can participate, no one is too old or too out-of-shape to join in, the organizers say.

9Round of Brick is owned and operated by Lisa Randolph, wife to U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Austin Randolph, a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter pilot who is currently deployed in Afghanistan.

Lisa and her staff hope to give back to veteran support organizations by gifting workouts to veterans in need of an outlet to alleviate combat stress.

"In addition to losing almost 25 pounds, 9Round has been intercepting my bad days, allowing me to release any built up stress that would eventually ruin my day," said Dennis Addesso, president and co-founder of MA22 and a Marine veteran who has been a 9Round member for three months.

Having outlets such as a gym workout can creative positive impact in a veterans life who might be facing isolation or other issues, in addition to the physical benefits of kickboxing.

Ma Deuce Deuce, based in Ocean County, works to foster such partnerships to give local veterans a diversity of restorative and therapeutic programs and nonprofit organizations at no cost to the veteran.

Participants in Saturday's fundraiser have registered for 30-minute kickboxing sessions that begin at 8 a.m. and continue through 12:45 p.m. and have recruited donations from family and friends to support their efforts.

The registration fee is $22, with the 22 symbolizing the number of veterans who take their lives every day. In addition, 9Round gym has pledged for a penny for every kick at the event, and the proceeds will fund their veteran program allowing vets and spouses to train at not cost for a month.

There will be prizes for the top three fundraisers presented at the small after-party at the gym, which is located at 347 Brick Blvd.

For more information or to make donations to the participants, as well as MA22, visit www.ma22.org/kickitdonations.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Brick Patch on Facebook.