Spin-A-Thon Raises Funds for Heart Disease

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Colgate students wake up before the sun to raise money for heart disease. 

On Friday, February 5, the Colgate American Heart Association (AHA) Chapter hosted its fifth annual Spin Your Heart Out Spin-A-Thon. Classes were held every hour, on the hour from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Huntington Spin Studio. Participants were encouraged to donate at the door, with all proceeds going toward AHA.

According to junior Andre D’Souza, one of the leaders of the Colgate AHA Chapter, this year’s Spin-A-Thon raised over $750 for heart disease research and public health education. 

“I got involved [with] AHA during freshman year. My dad had undergone open heart surgery when I was a sophomore in high school and it had a profound effect on me, shaping my aspirations and what mattered most to me,” D’Souza said.

Senior Alana Ounan, who has been teaching spinning at Colgate since Fall 2014, noted the popularity and effectiveness of the event. 

“My boss, Christina Turner, reached out to all of the spin

instructors about teaching during the Spin-A-Thon. Everyone was so excited to participate that all of the spots were filled within minutes,” Ounan said. “The Spin-A-Thon has a great dual mission: to raise money and awareness for those living with various heart diseases as well as encouraging the Colgate and Hamilton communities to be aware of their own heart health.”

In addition to improving heart health, participants also entered to win a number of prizes, including a Chipotle gift card. “I stayed for two hours and ended up winning twice through a raffle of bike numbers. I won a water bottle and a beanie,” first-year Tara Hildabrant said.

The Spin-A-Thon also appealed to those new to spinning as an exciting way to stay fit. “I did it because I’d never tried spin before and figured this was a perfect opportunity,” Hildabrant said. “I liked spinning more than I thought I would, especially after never having done it before, and I’m actually going to another class this week already.”