Local Fitness Club Sponsoring Charity "Zumbathon"

With an event that is part exercise marathon and part charity, will kick off a nationwide $1 million fundraiser to battle a debilitating disease this weekend.

The Wall-based health club is holding a Zumbathon, scheduled for Saturday at Asbury Park’s Convention Hall. Hosting the event is Kass Martin, whose Zumba prowess landed her on the cover of the Nintendo Wii Zumba Fitness game.

Zumba is a Latin-dance-inspired fitness program that has a growing following.

Saturday’s event is the first in a series of like events that will take place across the country as 1,000 health clubs nationwide attempt to raise $1 million to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, according to Kevin McHugh, chief operating officer at the Atlantic Club.

Sometimes called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease’’ the fatal neurodegenerative disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord, resulting in muscle weakness and atrophy.

The nationwide effort runs under the banner “Clubs For The Quest” McHugh said. The organization supports Augie’s Quest — a nonprofit aimed at finding effective treatments and a cure for ALS.

The organization’s namesake, Augie Nieto, was a giant in the fitness industry.  The founder of the Life Fitness, Nieto was the first to introduce the LifeCycle to health clubs nationwide. The LifeCycle eventually became standard equipment in health clubs, McHugh said.

Nieto was diagnosed with ALS in 2005.

“He’s broken the odds and going on his seventh year,” McHugh said.

Clubs for the Quest also has teamed up with a local ALS organization. McHugh said 10 percent of the proceeds from Saturday’s event will go to the PALS (People with ALS) Foundation, which supports people living with ALS in Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties.

McHugh said he expects the event to attract about 600 people and that by early this week several  hundred had already signed up for the 90-minute workout. 

To register for the Zumbathon at the Asbury park convention center go to www.clubsforthequest.com and click the link on top. Tickets are normally $75 but you can purchase tickets for $35 with the code: ZUMBA35.