The push-up ”” one of the most basic exercises ”” is also one of the most underused as far as raising money for charity. The likes of road races and softball tournaments have served that purpose for decades, but not so a push-up-athon.
Until now.
- Pushers who have already signed up include, from top left, Kim Rizy, director of sales and marketing, Madavor Media; Michael Carter, founder Carter Morse & Mathias and also founder Fairchester Push for Entrepreneurship; Mark Fagan, managing partner, Citrin Cooperman; and, right, Oni Chukwu, CEO, Etouches.
The call has gone out from multiple corporate suites ”” but foremost from the office of Southport-based Carter Morse & Mathias Managing Director Michael Carter ”” to sign up for the Saturday, Nov. 7, Push for Entrepreneurship at Fairfield University to benefit business education in a number of regional public schools.
“At this time, we need pushers,” Carter said. “We have 20 and our goal is to reach 50. In general, they range in age, from 18 to 65, are in good shape, love challenges, have a connection to entrepreneurship and are energetic people.”
Carter said 100 percent of the proceeds raised will be donated to Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching low-income students about starting their own business and developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
Participants have two hours to do as many push-ups as possible with unlimited breaks. There is no similar event of any size happening, Carter said. It began informally last year, but this year marks its official debut.
“I was doing a few sets of 25 pushups in the gym in my normal workout, but then heard that my out-of-shape college roommate was doing 50,” Carter said. “Two weeks later I was doing 50, and was very happy. I then heard of a 12-year-old girl who did more than 2,000 in two hours, after six months of training I did 2,511. This has inspired a number of us to remove our self-imposed limitations and created the vision for this special event.”
He said preparation, planning and practice are the keys to push-up success. There is no cost to sign up, but $200 is the target for each participant. Sponsors are also welcome.
NFTE, which dates to 1987 in the Bronx and with a Fairchester chapter that covers Westchester and Fairfield counties, trains and certifies teachers who teach students how to start a business.
The NFTE course is embedded in a school”™s curriculum. Students learn the basics of planning and starting a business and graduate with the necessary presentation, leadership and problemsolving skills for continuing their education and contributing to the economy by either running their own businesses or joining the workforce.
Donations from the Nov. 7 event will go to the Fairchester Runs programs in Stamford, Norwalk and Bridgeport and, in New York, in Yonkers, White Plains and New Rochelle.
Email mcarter@cartermorse.com to sign up.
