More than just weights are being raised at a Babylon gym. Babylon CrossFit fundraised more than $30,000 for Barbells for Boobs, a nonprofit organization committed to providing support for individuals impacted by breast cancer.
Trish Evangelista, 33, owner of Babylon CrossFit, along with the owner of Cow Harbor CrossFit, Loui Cavallini, and Joe Belmonte of Stronger Body, Stronger Mind Personal Training, joined forces to bring more than 140 Long Island athletes of all ages together to work out for a good cause.
The 3-hour event took place on Oct. 15 in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and included raffle baskets, merchandise, and baked goods donated by local individuals and businesses—with 100% of the proceeds going straight to the nonprofit organization.
Babylon CrossFit’s Impact
Babylon CrossFit first hosted the now-annual Barbell for Boobs event in 2021, raising upwards of $12,000 for the organization that year. This year, through the concerted efforts of Evangelista, Cavallini, Belmonte, and their memberships, they set out with the goal of raising $20,000. To date, $30,958 has been raised—making Babylon CrossFit the charity’s current top-grossing team in the world, according to barbellsforboobs.org.
“Our motto is ‘One village, one community,’” says Evangelista, “We will always do what we can to help raise money for charitable organizations that are making an impact, especially ones that are important to our members.”
Evangelista acquired Babylon CrossFit in 2019, only 5 months before the Covid lockdowns began. That same year, she lost her full-time job and was expecting her first child. She and her trainers worked tirelessly to keep her business afloat during lockdown and have since doubled the gym’s membership and revenue.
“The success of the gym is driven by the members we have and their individual journeys. Ultimately, we are on a mission to improve the overall health of our village. I hope to continue to serve as a resource for our community by providing a service that meets the needs of anyone and everyone looking to improve their health or make a positive lifestyle change,” says Evangelista.
To date, Evangelista herself has raised upwards of $8,451, making her the charity’s third highest of the 978 individual contributors worldwide.
“We would love to do it again next year and of course bigger. We will look to get more raffles and encourage more athletes to participate and individually fundraise. It all depends on how this year finishes but [I] would love to get to $40,000,” says Evangelista.
Barbells for Boobs was founded in 2009 by Zionna Hansen, following her best friend Cecy’s breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 26. The organization is committed to providing vital resources like education and detection, while focusing on individuals under the age of 40 returning to fitness after diagnosis.
