Christmas Appeal: Tauranga gyms get behind the Christmas spirit for Tauranga Foodbank

Helping the community just got easier... or harder as gyms around Tauranga jump on board to help their communities this Christmas.

FitNation, located in Mount Maunganui is ready to welcome new clients in its first few weeks of opening but decided to sprinkle a bit of community spirit into the mix.

The gym will accept any foodbank donation in return for a free workout.

The Bay of Plenty Times' annual, six-week Christmas Appeal, in partnership with Gilmours Wholesale Food and Beverage Tauriko, launched on November 7.

FitNation manager Nic Haldezos said it was in his and owner Pato Alvarez's nature to give back to the community.

"There's very few places or business that have access to the number of people as gyms do."

FitNation Gym manager Nic Haldezos wants a can for a workout this Christmas appeal. Photo / George Novak

Haldezos hoped the gym community would all jump on board and spread the message through the power of social media.

Across town, Blaze Fitness personal trainer Louise Watson is collecting donations for the second year in a row.

She told the Bay of Plenty Times she had tried to collect cans prior to lockdown but was unsuccessful as people started bulk buying making it hard to purchase anything to donate.

However, now the shelves are stocked it was the perfect time to start collecting, she said.

"Just by fluke that the timing was right, and everything's back in stock and the food bank is desperate for items."

Blaze Fitness personal trainer Louise Watson has already collected 300 food items for the Tauranga Foodbank. Photo / Supplied

Last year Watson collected 900 cans for the Tauranga Community Foodbank. This year the foodbank had sent her a list of items it really needed including nappies, cereal and Christmas treats.

She said in three weeks they had collected more than 300 items.

"This morning we had a box delivered here to the gym from Starbucks and it's just nice to see different local businesses collaborating."

To donate, Watson said she was happy to do a pick-up if people messaged her Facebook page, Louise Watson Fitness.

Otherwise, people could drop into Blaze Fitness in Gate Pa and drop off items.

Just under $40,000 of cash and food donations so far have been made to the Tauranga Community Foodbank since the beginning of the appeal.

The donations were a promising start to the $120,000 the foodbank had budgeted for food alone heading into next year.