History of FFL
Fitness for Life was officially founded on August 4, 2010 by Daniel Lewis, Varun Patel, and Romero Santiago, all rising sophomores at the time. Varun and Dan first conceived the idea in mid-July after increasingly witnessing the country's rising obesity epidemic firsthand as well as in the media. Varun, Dan, and Romero worked together to define the organization's mission and goals, while also establishing preliminary contact with several local elementary schools to propose a long-term community service partnership. The first board meeting was held on September 16, 2010 with Varun, Dan, and Romero, along with Micky Ibia and Dipesh Patel. The group got started quickly, launching this website on September 20, 2010 and holding the inaugural general body meeting on September 27, 2010.
The entire board, with newly selected board members Neha Bagadiya, Aki Bajulaiye, and Amanda Bader, worked with other Penn organizations to coordinate sporting events on campus and continued to communicate with West Philadelphia schools. On November 18, 2010, the board paid a visit to Spruce Hill Christian School, explaining the group's mission and proposing a tentative curriculum to a group of teachers at the school. It was from this very meeting that Fitness for Life's commitment to community service was finally set into motion.
After relentless efforts to work out an aftercare recess program, Fitness for Life finally began to visit West Philadelphia schools at the start of the new year, with the first visit taking place at Spruce Hill on January 21, 2011. Throughout the semester, the club continued to branch out by partnering with several organizations. On April 9, 2011, the club held its first major fundraising effort with the club's first annual dodgeball tournament. On August 7, 2011, the organization's constitution was ratified after an earlier drafting.
The new school year brought additional progress for the club. For one, the group began to lead multiple visits per week to Spruce Hill starting in September 2011. Some of our members also began visiting Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School in January 2012. Moreover, Fitness for Life achieved a major milestone on February 5, 2012, earning recognition and funding from the Student Activities Council after serving the community for an extended period of time.
In 2014, Fitness for Life began the Healthy Food Truck Initiative, a program conceived by Fitness for Life executive board member Robert Hsu that collaborates with food trucks in Philadelphia to promote healthier meals to customers. As part of this initiative, Hsu had the opportunity to meet with former First Lady Michelle Obama and have a one-on-one discussion about childhood obesity with her.
To this very day, Fitness for Life still aspires to promote healthy lifestyles and address issues of diet, fitness, and nutrition in the West Philadelphia region.
The entire board, with newly selected board members Neha Bagadiya, Aki Bajulaiye, and Amanda Bader, worked with other Penn organizations to coordinate sporting events on campus and continued to communicate with West Philadelphia schools. On November 18, 2010, the board paid a visit to Spruce Hill Christian School, explaining the group's mission and proposing a tentative curriculum to a group of teachers at the school. It was from this very meeting that Fitness for Life's commitment to community service was finally set into motion.
After relentless efforts to work out an aftercare recess program, Fitness for Life finally began to visit West Philadelphia schools at the start of the new year, with the first visit taking place at Spruce Hill on January 21, 2011. Throughout the semester, the club continued to branch out by partnering with several organizations. On April 9, 2011, the club held its first major fundraising effort with the club's first annual dodgeball tournament. On August 7, 2011, the organization's constitution was ratified after an earlier drafting.
The new school year brought additional progress for the club. For one, the group began to lead multiple visits per week to Spruce Hill starting in September 2011. Some of our members also began visiting Benjamin B. Comegys Elementary School in January 2012. Moreover, Fitness for Life achieved a major milestone on February 5, 2012, earning recognition and funding from the Student Activities Council after serving the community for an extended period of time.
In 2014, Fitness for Life began the Healthy Food Truck Initiative, a program conceived by Fitness for Life executive board member Robert Hsu that collaborates with food trucks in Philadelphia to promote healthier meals to customers. As part of this initiative, Hsu had the opportunity to meet with former First Lady Michelle Obama and have a one-on-one discussion about childhood obesity with her.
To this very day, Fitness for Life still aspires to promote healthy lifestyles and address issues of diet, fitness, and nutrition in the West Philadelphia region.
