Mach983 CrossFit’s Biggest Lift Yet — Building Their Own Nonprofit
Fred Dayton’s mission for his affiliate, Mach983 CrossFit in Aurora, CO, has always been about much more than fitness.
- This drive led him to partner with multiple nonprofit organizations – including Forging Youth Resilience (FYR), Redemption Road Fitness Foundation, Team Red, White and Blue, and The Boys and Girls Club of America – to support local youth at risk, inmates, and veterans.
A busy gym owner with a family, Dayton has also always found the time to prioritize fundraising, raising more than $50,000 for various causes and charities along the way.
And now, the Mach983 community is about to do a whole lot more.
The Details
Last spring, one of Dayton’s members suggested they establish a nonprofit within Mach983 CrossFit.
- “He told me that when he was in college, they started a nonprofit at their fraternity, and there were grants and tax breaks, and they were able to do a lot more for their community,” Dayton said.
Despite having no experience in the nonprofit world, Dayton decided to go for it.
His members wasted no time taking action. They collaborated to handle all the paperwork and other preparations, formed a board, and just a few months later, the Mach Community Foundation nonprofit received official approval.
- Since becoming a nonprofit in July, the members immediately partnered with FYR and hosted a back-to-school 5K run fundraiser in the fall, during which they collected “multiple containers and a trunk full of clothes” for local schools, Dayton explained.
- Now, they’re actively raising money and canned goods for the food bank in response to the US government cutting SNAP benefits nationwide.
Watching his gym community come together like this moved Dayton more than he expected.
- “We were already doing a lot, so I was so moved by the desire of my community to give back even more,” Dayton said.
The Big Picture
Like most affiliate owners, Dayton started CrossFit with a purpose.
- “My reason has always been the community aspect of it. It has always been about how we can help others and give back. It has been our sole purpose,” he said.
But there’s only so much one person can do. This is why he is so excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.
- “With my full-time job and family and kids, it’s no longer just limited to the time I have to give. Now we can do so much more,” Dayton said.
He added, “I feel so emotional that people want to do this on a larger scale. To see my dream play out and make it something more than I could do on my own, I can’t even describe the feeling.”
Featured image: @mach983_crossfit / Instagram
