Narberth Gym Raises $1,100 For Local Cancer Foundation

NARBERTH, PA — A local gym tasked its members with eating healthy or pay up, and paying up helped support a local cancer foundation.

On New Year’s Day, Uppercut Gym in Narberth challenged members to jump-start a healthy new year by joining a "Healthy Eating Challenge" which supported Narberth's Sydney Harper Foundation.

The premise was simple: clean up your act or pay up toward a good cause.

Gym members were given simple guidelines and a food list to follow.

The penalty for consuming a disallowed food or beverage was $5. By the end of the challenge, gym members had lost a total of 268 pounds and raised $1,100 for the foundation

"I continue to be humbled by the outpouring of support from our local community.” said Sydney’s mother, Brittany. "We are thrilled that Uppercut Gym selected us as recipients for this year’s Healthy Eating Challenge."

Money raised from the challenge will help give these kids the chance they deserve to live happy, healthy lives.

Each year, Upper Cut owner and personal trainer Rodney Rappe encourages his clients to take their health and fitness to the next level by participating in the challenge. He believes that by encouraging people to read labels and educate themselves about what they are eating during the month of January, that they will develop the skills needed improve eating habits for the rest of the year. While clients were losing pounds and inches, they still slipped up on occasion and had to pay a penalty. Indulging in a beer, for example, required a $5 contribution to a pot.

Rappe, after hearing of the death of 3-year-old Sydney Harper from complications of Wilms Disease in 2018, decided to donate this year’s January challenge proceeds to Sydney Harper Foundation.

"We appreciate Rodney and his clients’ compassion and support, and for going the distance together with us in our fight against pediatric cancer," Brittany said.

The majority of children who survive their initial cancer diagnosis face significant health-related issues that are most usually side effects from the treatments they received in response to the cancer. Money raised from the challenge will help give these kids the chance they deserve to live happy, healthy lives.

Learn more about the Sydney Harper Foundation here.