Get in a Free Thanksgiving Workout by Donating to Local Food Pantry

Are you looking for a way to eat all the turkey, stuffing and all the trimmings you want on Thursday–but avoid the extra pounds those goodies might add?

Lemont Park District has a solution for you:  a free open house at The CORE Fitness and Aquatic Complex, where you and your family can burn those excess calories before sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner.

The CORE will be open from 7 a.m. to noon Thursday to provide opportunities for individuals and families to take a class, go for a swim or work out at the fitness center. And here’s the best part: everyone who participates in the open house will be admitted free of charge when they bring in a food item to donate to the local food pantry.

Special family fitness classes are also planned during the open house, including family boot camp from 9:15-10-:15 a.m. and family Zumba from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (The park district requires children between the ages of 14 and 17 years to have adult supervision while working out in the fitness center.)

Don't forget to bring along a non-perishable food item as your price of admission to The CORE on Thanksgiving Day. Here’s a list of items the food pantry needs:

• Boxed meals (Hamburger Helper, pasta meals, all-in-one-box meals)
• Canned spaghetti (such as Spaghettios, ravioli, etc.)
• Canned meals (such as Chinese prepared meals)
• Canned meats (chicken, Vienna wieners, other meats to add to pasta or boxed meals)
• Convenience foods that need little added to become meals (such as microwave dishes, pasta, rice and other ready-to-heat–and-eat items)
• Name-brand cereals (kids see them on TV and it’s a thrill for them)
• Pasta and spaghetti sauce
• Cake, brownie or cookie mixes and frosting
• Sugar, brown sugar, flour and other baking supplies
• Cans or jars of fruit
• Boxes of raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit
• Snack cups (Jello, pudding, apple sauce)
• Snack bars (granola, breakfast bars, grab-and-eat individual snacks)
• Microwave popcorn
• Tea bags and coffee
• Salad dressing, condiments and spices
• Peanut butter, jelly, Marshmallow Fluff
• Jars of cheese, salsa, spreads and Velveeta
• Laundry detergent, cleaning items
• Toilet paper, paper towels, paper plants, napkins
• Personal care items
• Baby food, formula, diapers and wipes
• Bottled water
• Pet food

The food pantry does not need canned vegetables, pork and beans, cream soups, macaroni and cheese boxed mixes, tuna fish or corn flakes at this time, but monetary donations are always welcome with which to purchase food vouchers. Checks should be made payable to Lemont Food Pantry. For more information email Terri O’Neill-Borders of Hope and Friendship Foundation at hopeandfriendship@comcast.net.

“For a household that is earning minimum wage, has suffered a job loss, has medical expenses due to a handicapped child or severe health issue, is a single parent home with no support–or for whatever reason lives paycheck to paycheck, the relief that our two food pantries offer is to monthly receive a bag/couple bags of food and a voucher to Chipains for meat and dairy,” said O’Neill-Borders.

“This small relief enables this household to not have to choose between the cost of those groceries, paying a bill or buying the items that are necessary – personal care items, gas for the car, medicine, kids’ needs, etc.  Your generosity provides great financial relieve to a very financially strained home.”

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