Embrace to host 1st Annual Ex 4 Vets: "Exercising to Support Our Veterans" Event

SAN DIEGO, CA, February 16, 2011 (Press-News.org) San Diegans will be getting fit for a good cause on April 9th: Embrace, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes college students to address San Diego community needs through volunteering and service learning, is teaming up with KUSI fitness guru Cindy Whitmarsh and the USS Midway Museum to lead 500 San Diegans in the first-ever Ex 4 Vets Program (www.ex4vets.org) on the flight deck of the USS Midway.

Embrace volunteers and members of the community will raise money by collecting pledge money and sponsorships for their participation in the Ex 4 Vets Aerob-A-Thon, with a personal goal of $1000 per person.

The single volunteer that the raises the most money will receive a brand new 32" television and sushi for 4, while groups of up to five people who raise the most will receive complimentary limo bus service for one evening (accommodating up to 10 people) and sushi for 8.

"Embrace has done an 'Aerob-A-Thon' in the past with great success, so we thought we would add another component to broaden the reach of its benefits," said Sean Sheppard, Founder and CEO of Embrace. "San Diego is a town full of active people that exercise on a regular basis and is known for its strong military presence. The two pretty much go hand-in-hand."

After the sponsorships are acquired, the participants will partake in an hour-long aerobic exercise event, featuring kickboxing variations and boot camp fitness training by Fitness Sensation Cindy Whitmarsh (http://www.cindywhitmarshfitness.com/).

Whitmarsh is the widow of the late Olympic Volleyball silver medalist Mike Whitmarsh and hosts a weekly fitness segment on San Diego's own KUSI. Cindy has her own consulting business, Ultrafit Nutrition Systems, and has produced and stared in her own exercise video, "The Ultrafit Fat Burning Video."

She has appeared in countless DVD's and infomercials, as well as network television specials. She has also authored two fitness books, a cookbook, and is a top trainer on Exercise TV.

"After serving the homeless week after week, I now understand that one in three homeless men are veterans," said Sheppard. "I really felt that the community could play a huge role in helping generate funds that will allow us to restore the homes of low income veterans and much more."

Funds raised through this event will be allocated as follows: 50% to the Ex 4 Vets Wounded Veteran Home Restoration Program; 40% to Embrace's efforts to serve the homeless veteran community; and 10% to the Veterans Village San Diego - VVSD (www.vvsd.net), home to 160 homeless veterans.

The Home Restoration Program will be carried out by several of SDSU Physical Plant's highly trained trade staff, Embrace college student volunteers, and other community sponsors, helping in the rehabilitation of distressed proprieties owned by wounded veterans in District 8, District 3 and on Native American reservations.

"Our goal is to assist veteran homeowners who are at or below the federal poverty line, as well as those with mobility issues within their residences, by constructing disability ramps, remedying electrical issues, painting the interior/exterior, and repairing plumbing," said Sheppard. "Embrace and the SDSU Physical Plant will restore at least one home each quarter during the 2011 calendar year, for a total of at least four homes."

Partners and sponsors assisting Embrace and the SDSU Physical Plant with their efforts are: Spar Customs, VVSD, American Legion Post 310, Clif Bar, The Barbecue Barons, Feeding America, Cindy Whitmarsh, Grainger, NStyle Limousine, Sushi on a Roll, Sony, Boca Soccer San Diego, and BAM Communications.

To celebrate the completion of the Ex 4 Vets Areob-a-thon, Embrace will host a post-exercise gala at Tuna Harbor, home to the "Kissing Sailor" statue (between Anthony's Fish Market and the USS Midway). The event will feature live music, autograph signings, vendor booths, giveaways and a free BBQ for all participants in the Ex 4 Vets events.

"This will be a great family event and a terrific way to show the veterans how deeply the San Diego community appreciates their service," said Sheppard. "All of the proceeds from this event will benefit Embrace and the Veterans Village San Diego."

For more information about Ex 4 Vets, visit http://www.ex4vets.org

For more information about Embrace and its programs, visit http://www.embrace1.org.

About Embrace

In 2007, Sean Sheppard began volunteering his time to feed the homeless once a week with the San Diego Chargers and soon discovered that he had a passion for improving the lives of the homeless population. Embrace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, connects universities and colleges with local government to create a community outreach/service learning model that utilizes college students to remedy community problems such as health and homelessness on a volunteer basis. His ultimate goal is to bring about legislation that makes community service mandatory for all college students that attend state funded institutions of higher education.

Visit http://www.embrace1.org for more information.