KAPAA — Wesley Shane plans to push himself when he moves weights on Saturday. The caveat, however, is the Kapaa resident will be moving weights from his Kukui Street gym to just over a mile to his gym’s new location
KAPAA — Wesley Shane plans to push himself when he moves weights on Saturday.
The caveat, however, is the Kapaa resident will be moving weights from his Kukui Street gym to just over a mile to his gym’s new location on the north end of town.
“They’re saying 1.2 miles; I’m thinking like 6,300 feet,” Shane said.
Shane will be among the 20 people registered for “Walking the Weights” charity sponsored by Adapt Performance Kauai.
Proceeds will support Able Ministries, a nonprofit that serves the special needs community on Kauai.
“I feel fortunate to be running a successful business in today’s economy. And with that, we’d like to be able to give back,” said Jeff Nelson, owner of Adapt Performance Kauai. “Adapt does a variety of fundraisers throughout the year and we’re always interested in finding new partners. We chose to work with Able Ministries because we think their ministry and work serves a segment of our population that is often underserved and neglected.”
Participants will be moving weights from the Kukui Street location to the old Two Wheels store next to Foodland.
Nelson said the idea started as a joke.
“We’re gonna be moving at the end of the month. One of my clients said it would be cool to just film a video of us walking the weights out of the gym and down the street,” he said. “Her husband, who is also a client, we were helping a friend move and he made a joke, ‘What, you’re going to make us move all the weights?’”
The idea was brilliant to Nelson.
“I have to move the weights anyway. It’s all on the sidewalk. It’s only a mile,” he said. “We’ll get teams of two to four people to carry the weights and we’ll do a fundraiser and donate the money.”
Teams are seeking donations per pound of weight that is being carried. Alternatively, Nelson said, anyone may donate what they wish.
“We’ll match up to $250 from the gym,” he said.
Kimi Schmauch of Kapaa said she’ll be there bright and early on Saturday.
“I’m looking forward to raising money for a local charity, getting ready for our new facility and just having fun,” she said. “We have everyone to support each other, and we’ll have lots of laughing, and we’ll get honked at a lot and being waved at.”
The cool thing about the teams is that when you start to burn out, you hand it off and switch to a lower weight, Shane said.
“In terms of the weights, it’s one thing to lift the big boys, it’s another to think about walking 6,330 feet,” he said. “It’s good to raise money for Able Ministries and to have fun with everyone here. I think it’s great advertising, too, to walk to the busiest strip and wave and carry weights.”
The special needs community is underserved and underappreciated, Nelson said.
”They’re just people who just want to be part of the community,” he said. “We’re trying to get people healthy. This is a segment of the population that’s (differently abled), so it’s important to support them.”
The event starts at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until participants complete their walk. Registration is open Saturday morning at 4562 Kukui St.
To learn more or register for Walk the Weights, sponsor a team or make a donation, go to www.apkauai.com, email jeff@apkauai.com or call 634-0466.
