Special delivery helps out veterans
Lots of people work out before the summer, so they look better at the beach.
Lots of people exercise their charitable impulses before the holidays, so their lives align better with the spirit of the season.
The management of a local exercise center recently worked out an arrangement to deliver Christmas gifts to the families of 30 local veterans in need.
It began with Planet Fitness manager Ron Heckel’s acquaintance with a volunteer who works at Van Zandt VA Medical Center.
Heckel at one point sent over a batch of shirts, so the volunteer could share them with his clients, then a batch of gym bags.
When the volunteer told Heckel that an office in the hospital that works with homeless veterans was adding shaving kits before distributing the gym bags, Heckel “got to thinking … how to help these guys out.”
A representative of the hospital office gave him a list that didn’t include names, but the ages and genders of the veterans and their families — 119 people in all, Heckel said.
Heckel then spoke to the owner of the gym franchise, who gave him a budget of $2,000.
Then Heckel and his wife, Michele, went shopping at Ollie’s, Walmart and Gabe’s, getting drones, piano mats, coloring books, crayons, blankets, nail polish, wool socks, heated gaiters and scarves.
“It was fun,” Michele said.
“A good time,” Ron said.
Michele and daughter, Brianna Heckel, the assistant manager at the gym, wrapped the gifts.
Planet Fitness customer service representative Andre Roberts helped load the presents into a rented van, then the three employees delivered the presents to the hospital on Monday.
The Heckels would like to make it an annual event.
They would welcome other businesses to work with them, they said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.