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Barry University Sports Management Grad Hosts Zoom Workouts to Feed the Hungry
(MIAMI, FL) With gyms closed and concerns about gathering even when restrictions are lifted, every Saturday at 10am personal trainer Armando Berrios hosts virtual bootcamp classes, with a portion of the proceeds earmarked to provide food for the hungry in this time of crisis.
As the pandemic hit south Florida, Berrios, then a Barry University senior studying sports management, took his business online in order to keep food on his own table. “I was a little nervous,” he said. “I have a mortgage and bills and I needed to make sure I was ok.”
But soon, it became clear to Berrios that he needed to do more. In collaboration with Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Dale Hartz, through their work in the Barry Entrepreneurship Lab, Berrios decided to donate a 40% of his proceeds each week to Feeding South Florida.
“In the beginning, it was about the bottom line. But after going through Dr. Hartz’s class and the entrepreneurship lab, it did spark a need to give back through my work. Food is what keeps us alive and seeing so many people lining up for food here in South Florida, I knew I had to help.”
Barry’s Entrepreneurship Lab serves as an incubator for students and others with fledgling business ideas, with a focus on collaboration, innovation and social entrepreneurship.
“This became the logical pivot for Armando’s business,” said Dr. Hartz. “He is helping people physically and emotionally through his bootcamp workouts. Now, he is also helping feed people in this time of great need.”
Dr. Hartz isn’t just a mentor and supporter of Berrios’ business, he’s also a weekly participant in the workouts.
Berrios, who graduated from Barry with a degree in sports management earlier this month, says he plans to keep raising money for the cause, long after the pandemic has passed. “I plan to keep having these bootcamps, and donating as much as I can, probably for the rest of my life,” he says.
Berrios made the decision to donate 100% of his earnings for the first three sessions to Feeding South Florida. In the first three weeks of doing the workouts, he has raised enough money to provide 1750 meals through Feeding South Florida.