Local kickboxing gym 9Round in Brick has teamed up with veterans charity Ma Deuce Deuce (Ma22) to launch Operation Kick It, taking place Saturday April 27 at the gym, 347 Brick Blvd.

The fundraiser will help support efforts to raise awareness of the veteran suicide epidemic and post-traumatic stress.

Participants have registered for $22 and have recruited donations from family and peers. Current totals have exceed $4,000. 9Round gym has pledges 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. Prizes for the top 3 fundraisers will be handed out at the small after party at the gym. The registration fee $22 is symbolic of the 22 veterans a day who commit suicide.

With 30 minute sessions ranging from  8 a.m. to 12:45, April 27, Operation Kick It will culminate at 9Round with the fundraiser for Ma Deuce Deuce, where participants can join in on the camaraderie of a good workout and offering support for veterans’ issues.

The Workout: 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. Once inside 9ROUND, trainers and volunteers will guide you through a (9) station circuit workout. Each station is 3 minutes long and there’s a 30 second active rest in 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 on the fun.

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 are hopeful to give back to veteran support organizations by gifting workouts to veterans in need of an outlet to alleviate combat stress. MA22 co-founder and President Dennis Addesso, a Marine veteran, has been a member of 9Round for the last 3 months. “In addition to losing almost 25lbs, 9Round has been intercepting my bad days; allowing me to release any built up stress that would eventually ruin my day.”

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/non-profit organizations at no cost to the veteran.

For more information or to make donations to the participants, as well as Ma22, can be made at www.ma22.org/kickitdonations.

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Photo courtesy Ma22 of Ma22 President Dennis Addesso at left and 9Round of Brick founder Lisa Randolph explain a recent workout ahead of April 27’s Operation Kick It fundraiser.