UTICA — Local area health and wellness facility O.B. Training and Sports Performance and its members collected and donated 742 pounds of non-perishable food items in the month of November to assist veterans and their families through local nonprofit organization Feed Our Vets.

According to the New York Health Foundation, food insecurity or the lack of consistent access to enough food to live an active and healthy lifestyle is one of the factors impacting the lives of veterans in New York state. 

Feed Our Vets, with locations in New York Mills and Watertown, was founded by Vernon Center, New York Postmaster and Navy Veteran Rich Synek and his wife, Michelle. Since 2009, Feed Our Vets has provided free food assistance to more than 40,500 veterans and their family members, distributing more than 3 million pounds of food, and over $214,000 in gift cards. 

“Feed Our Vets would like to thank O.B Training and Sports Performance for their continued support and generous donation to keep food on the tables of our veterans and their families not only through the holiday season, but throughout the year as well,” said Rich Synek. “These Veterans and their families who suffer from food insecurity and who have been left on the battlefield of hunger, send a huge thank you for thinking of them and providing them the holiday meal they deserve. O.B Training lives up to their goal: Helping members of the local community live their very best lives, especially our veterans.”

Members and non-members participated in an 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day workout: “Turkey Day Sweat-4-A-Cause.” The fee for member and non-member participation was one item of non-perishable food. The event was attended by 78 area workout enthusiasts. 

“Our goal is to help members of our local community live their very best lives in and out of the gym, especially our local veterans,” said Ryan Obernesser, co-owner of O.B. Training and Sports Performance. “As a local business, we see it as our responsibility to give back to those in our area who are the most economically vulnerable to these difficult and trying times.”

O.B. Training opened its doors in 2014 and has since helped thousands of adults transform their bodies with their “Take Back Your Life” program.   

“Our mission is to help our members enjoy the physical activities they are passionate about with the people they love most”, said Christina D’Amico, co-owner of O.B. Training and Sports Performance.    

To learn more about O.B. Training visit its website at obtraining.com. For more information about Feed Our Vets or to make a donation, go online to feedourvets.org.