Gym Equipment Donated to 3 Middle Schools

About $225,000 worth of gym equipment has been donated to three Los Angeles middle schools by a well-known fitness motivator and his supporters.

The gym equipment went to Compton’s Roosevelt Middle School, George Crozier Middle School in Inglewood and Pacoima’s Charles Macalay Middle School, said Judith Kieffer, president of fitness guru Jake Steinfeld’s Don’t Quit! Foundation.

Old school gyms and classrooms were painted and turned into fitness centers, Steinfeld said. They were equipped with state-of-the-art stationary bikes, free weights, treadmills and weight machines.

Steinfeld grew up as an overweight teenager who stuttered, but his life changed when his father gave him a weight set, he said. Now a successful fitness trainer and entrepreneur, Steinfeld created his foundation two years ago, dedicating it to empowering students at inner-city schools through fitness.

“The Don’t Quit! fitness centers are designed to give kids an opportunity to take control of their bodies, build confidence and redirect their energy,” Steinfeld said. “Maybe then, kids will be less likely to smoke cigarettes, take drugs or get involved with gangs.”

Movie producers Steve Tisch and Frank Marshal made the centers possible with donations, Steinfeld said. Fitness companies Body by Jake and Cybex also sponsored the centers.

Mayor Richard Riordan, who was on hand for the dedication ceremony at Charles Macalay School last week, said the centers will help students stay fit and healthy while building self-esteem.

“Physical fitness is the key to the growth and development of our children,” Riordan said.