On Sunday, June 8, South Shore Fitness proudly sponsored the Second Annual Peninsula Counseling Center (PCC) Triathalon in honor of Adam Cohen and Jonah Richman. These two young men gave their lives in an extraordinary effort to help a friend. PCC named their Adolescent Center after these to special men. The PCC Adolescent Center is designed to represent what these two men stood for and to make it possible for adolescents to receive the emotional help and support they may need in coping with their own lives.
Archive for the ‘South Shore Fitness in the Community’ Category
South Shore Fitness Sponsors the PCC Second Annual Triathalon
Monday, June 7th, 2010SSF Sponsors the Lynbrook “Fly with the Owls” Run
Monday, December 7th, 2009
South Shore Fitness was proud to be a sponsor of The Fifth Annual Lynbrook “Fly With The Owls” 4 mile Run / Walk and Half Mile Fun Run on Sunday, December 6, 2009. The “Fly with the Owls” Run is a Partnership of the Lynbrook Public School District, the Village of Lynbrook, and Fly With The Owls, Inc. All proceeds benefitted Fly With the Owls, Inc. and its services to the youth of the Lynbrook community.
South Shore Fitness was represented by members of the Lynbrook South Middle School Cross Country Team as well as many of our loyal gym members.
Membership Director, Christine Vollkommer, greeted runners at the South Shore Fitness table located in the awards presentation room. Many runners expressed interest in South Shore Fitness and the many services offered. It was a wonderful event and we look forward to participating again next year!
SOUTH SHORE FITNESS COLLECTS SWEETS FOR THE SOLDIERS
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Students from schools all over Nassau County collected candy and donated it to South Shore Fintess in an effort to support the US Troops.
The weeks after the Halloween night candy chow-down are usually spent sifting through the leftover profits of that night and picking out the most appetizing candy. After a while, parents often throw away the dregs of what remains. But all over Oceanside this year, in an initiative spearheaded by resident Christine Vollkommer, families are donating their leftover candy to American troops. I had sent out a letter to all the PTAs in the school districts of East Rockaway, Baldwin, Oceanside and Lynbrook,” Vollkommer explained. “Then I sent out letters to the principals of East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, Oceanside, Lynbrook and Baldwin. And I had the principals call me and say, ‘We’re going to do a collection here and then we’ll send it to you.’” The candy has come pouring in to South Shore Fitness, where Vollkommer works. Schools and individuals alike have been donating candy for the troops, and not just the unwanted leftovers: Vollkommer’s children, as it happens, are allergic to peanuts, so she donated all the candy they collected, including Reese’s, Baby Ruths and more.

SSF Collected over 650 pounds of candy to donate to the US Troops.
I was here the day after Halloween, just sitting here while families gave me candy,” said Vollkommer. “Why I did it out of South Shore Fitness is that I have a lot of flexibility here, and the members are so great. If you came here and saw the candy I had in a room, you’d be taken aback. It’s so much.” According to Vollkommer, she has collected well over 400 pounds of sweets so far. Schools all over, including School 3 in Oceanside, have been collecting candy for the same cause. School 3’s site-based team — a group of two parents, two teachers and the school principal, who discuss programming and issues at the school — came up with the candy idea at a September meeting, independent of Vollkommer. They felt that it would be a good lesson for students about community service. Also, one of our goals is to have our students recognize that those who serve in our military are very important and should be honored, and this is one way that a child has the ability to do that for them,” said Dr. Jill DeRosa, School 3 principal. But when Vollkommer called DeRosa about her candy drive, DeRosa decided to join that effort as well. “We had decided to organize our own collection, and one of the things that’s often challenging is that shipping can be very prohibitive,” DeRosa said. “And then I got a flier from South Shore Fitness saying that they were doing the collection. So I called them and asked them if they would be willing to include our candy with theirs, so we didn’t have to pay for the shipping.”

The Staff at SSF pose with the many boxes of candy shipped to the organization which will send them to the US Troops.
Vollkommer’s husband works for the shipping company DHL, which will be packing up the candy and sending it to a woman named Gail VanVranken in West Virginia, who runs the charity Boatsie’s Boxes. VanVranken sends care packages to troops, and the candy will be included in her Operation Christmas Stocking, which will pack up the candy along with small items like phone cards and send them to troops. The idea for collecting candy came to Vollkommer after she read an article in a magazine about someone collecting candy and sending it to Boatsie’s Boxes. It is just another in a list of things that Vollkommer has done to support the troops since her brother, Robert Spear, a member of the 82nd Airborne division, died on Sept. 11, 2001. “My brother was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, and I like doing things in his honor knowing that he would love the support,” Vollkommer said. This is the first year that Vollkommer and the schools have joined forces. “And I want it to be the first of many,” she said. “So it ended up taking off really well.”
Thank you from Herald Contest Winner Barbara Lewis
Monday, August 31st, 2009Barbara Lewis - Herald Contest Winner
Dear Lou, Barry and Matt:
It has been a gift and a privilege to have had the opportunity to “get healthy” at South Shore Fitness. Your generous gift of a membership, trainers and a nutritionist, through the Nassau Herald’s “Weight Makeover Contest” has literally changed my life.
I had tried other fitness facilities previously and found them to be geared strictly for the fit! The trainers were always too busy socializing to take more than a rushed moment to show me how anything worked. Needless to say, I left, feeling totally out of place and defeated.
But from the moment that I stepeed into South Shore Fitness, your staff made me feel comfortable and at ease. The staff at the desk is always friendly, smiling and never too busy to greet you and ask you haow everything is going. They are like this with everyone who checks in a the desk to start their workout.
The Director of Fitness and team leader Sharon, and my trainers; Connie, Tommy, Jen, Matt and Beth made every workout fun and informative. If laughing burns calories, than I burned thousands laughng with them. They encouraged me with every session and had me doing things that I would have thought were beyond my capabilities. They were as commited to changing the way that I looked and felt, as I was. Their faith in me was remarkable and they made me believe in myself. George, my nutritionist, taught me that fad diets and starving yourself are not the way to loose weight nor are they the way to good health. He gave me a new understanding of nutrition and how the body utilized the fuel that we give it. Instead of starving myself into failure, I now eat for success… and it is working. I will be forever thankful to these amazing people and to South Shore Fitness for their generosity, and for caring enough about their clients to hire such hard working and well trainedd professionals!
I reached my goal of losing 20 pounds, but the rest was a wonderful surprise. I lost 16+ inches!!! I went from a size 18 to a size 14. And my “make over” is not over yet, it has only just begun. My next goal…. another 20 pounds! I will continue to exerdise and eat well, because I have been given the tools by all of you to do so. It has now become a way of life for me.
When people ask me how much weight that I’ve lost so far, I know that they do not really understand what my journey here at South Shore Fitness has been about. It has not been strictly about what I have lost, but more about what I have gained! I have gained knowledge, energy, strength,. stamina, a sendse of accomplishment, self respect and an all around feeling of well being.
With my whole heart, I thank you all again for this amazing opportunity. I wish for all of you, the same happiness that you have all given to me. God bless you all!
Fondly,
Barbara Lewis
Herald Contest Winner Loses over 17″ and 20 pounds in less than 4 months
Monday, August 10th, 2009
Barbara Lewis was the winner of a contest that the Herald ran back in April. She had to write an essay about why she should be selected as the winner of a three month membership to South Shore Fitness complete with personal training and nutritional counseling.
Upon learning that she had won the contest, South Shore Fitness assembled a team of trainers to work with her three times a week. “Barbara’s team” consisted of Jen Brody, Connie Falconieri, Beth Florio, Tommy Florio and Matt Gordon. This team worked together taking diligent notes and collaborating on her training to produce some amazing results.
At the end of the 3 1/2 months, Barbara had lost 20 pounds and over 17 inches from all over her body. She lost 5 inches in her waist alone! Not only did Barbara change her body, but she changed her life. She now incorporates exercise into her daily routine and she looks forward to it everyday.
Barbara’s progess was documented in four articles in the Herald. We congratulate her for all of her hard work and dedication. We also congratulate Barbara’s Team of personal trainers for their collaboration in keeping Barbara motivated and teaching her the proper and safe way to exercise.
Relay for Life
Friday, July 24th, 2009South Shore Fitness sponsored and participated in the First Annual Relay for Life at Oceanside High School on June 6, 2009. South Shore Fitness staff and members walked for Team Pink Roses. All proceeds from this event went to the American Cancer Society.

Team Pink Roses at Relay for Life
SSF at the Heros Run
Friday, July 24th, 2009
SSF member Justing Smulison crossing the finish line with one of SSF owners Matt Kantor following not far behind.
On April 26, South Shore Fitness sponsored and participated in the 5K Heros Run. The money raised from this event helps to build homes for wounded and disabled war veterans.

SSF Membership Director Christine Vollkommer, SSF Personal Trainer Lorraine Weber and SSF Owner Barry Fertel participate in the Heroes Run.
South Shore Fitness Sponsors Lynbrook Fly with the Owls
Friday, July 24th, 2009South Shore Fitness proudly donated and participated in the Lynbrook Fly with the Owls 5K run on December 7, 2008.