Little Gyms of Southern California Team Up to Host Tumble-A-Thon Fundraiser

Take nine the Little Gym locations around Southern California with hundreds of smiling kids and lots of mats and music, add a commitment to helping the local children’s hospitals, throw in balloons, refreshments and prizes and you’ve got the successful recipe for a Tumble-A-Thon.

The Little Gyms of Corona, La Cañada, Monrovia/Arcadia, Mission Viejo, Riverside, Temecula, Thousand Oaks, Torrance and Yorba Linda invite children of all ages and their families to experience first hand the joy of helping others. The Tumble-A-Thon is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 18 at these nine Southern California gym locations. Funds raised in their respective communities will be donated to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

Children and their parents interested in signing up for the Tumble-A-Thon collect pledges for their participation in tumbling, cart wheeling, rolling, and other activities during the three-hour event. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised will benefit the local children’s hospitals. To register at The Little Gym nearest them, or for additional information, parents can visit www.tlgtumbleathon.com and click on the gym of their choice. The event is open to the public, and no membership at the Little Gym is required to participate in the Tumble-A-Thon.

“At the Little Gym, we see children laughing, tumbling and enjoying themselves all the time,” said Sarah Lowe, owner of the gyms of La Cañada and Monrovia and an organizer of the Tumble-A-Thon. “As owners and parents ourselves, we’re grateful for the good health of our own children and the children who attend the Little Gym, so we wanted to give something back to the caring hospitals in our local communities that treat sick and injured children and bring smiles back to their faces.”

Lowe added that the Little Gym owners of Southern California would like to make the Tumble-A-Thon an annual event based on its success this year.

The Little Gym concept was developed 30 years ago by Robin Wes, a kinesiologist and educator who conceived the idea of using gymnastics to help children develop motor skills.

“Since the concept was founded in 1976, childhood has changed dramatically,” said Robert Bingham, president and CEO of Little Gym International, adding that video games and fast food have replaced pick-up baseball games and family dinners. “Still, parents today want the same things for their kids as they did 30 years ago — they want them to be active, have fun, develop skills and build the confidence that will help them become happy, successful adults.”

For more information, call 249-4496 or 277-7605 or visit www.thelittlegym.com.