Healthy Holiday Hustle 2020: Hustle for the Youth (and come PLAY with us!)

2020 Was a bit of a…drag.

The world continued to be on lock down amid the COVID-19 virus and many of us stayed home for the holidays. Group gatherings were limited and virtual exercise became more prevalent. Many of us felt stressed out and anxious, trying to keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe, while still enjoying life along the way. People were cooped up, on edge and feeling uncertain about the future. It was tough year to say the least.

In 2020, the Healthy Holiday Hustle, in its 6th year, partnered with Born and Raised Detroit to support Figure Skating in Detroit. We supported FSD in its efforts to shape the next generation of leaders through academics and sport.

The theme was “Rediscover Play.” In our hectic lives, work and family commitments can be all consuming and it seems like we only make time for “leisure” by watching TV or scrolling social media. Sometime between childhood and adulthood, we forget how to play and find joy in movement, the kind that you see every day on the playground with energetic children who exude happiness simply through a little exercise and connection with others.

2020 was our biggest year yet - we had 288 Hustlers officially signed up and were able to raise $14,061 from 130 individual donations. Although COVID made group workouts difficult, we still managed to put together an awesome group class with Jim Life Fitness and had a Peloton Challenge with 73 participants. It wasn’t the year any of us expected, but the Hustlers showed up and continued to inspire and motivate each other through difficult times. Plus we all had a little fun along the way, which ended up being the best medicine any of us could have asked for.