Donations will go towards Canadian Cancer Society
By Angela Espinoza, News Editor
The second annual Spring Cleaning for your Mind, Body, and Soul event will be taking place April 13 at New Westminster River Market. Co-founder Robyn Murrell of Zhoosh Fitness Garage says the event will be showcasing up to 35 “New [Westminster]-based… businesses, clubs, organizations, everything to do with health and wellness.”
Spring Cleaning has greatly expanded in only a year’s time, having received a number of sponsors, and continues to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society. “It was… just over a year ago,” Murrell says. “My sister [co-founder Heidi Clarkson] and I were at River Market, and I was actually looking at places to rent to teach my kickboxing to see if they had spaces there.
“We approached River Market and asked them [if we could start a health and wellness fair], and they literally gave us a date two months in the future, and we did not have much time to pull it all together. But it was so successful, we’re about twice the size this year now.”
Sonja Curry is the third co-founder of Spring Cleaning, and all three women are members of Business-to-Business Network of Women in New Westminster.
Murrell, a Douglas-graduate from the A-to-Z: Become a Personal Trainer program, recently opened her first Zhoosh Fitness Garage location, where she offers a number of fitness classes.
She says that her education aided in getting her started: “I didn’t want to work in a gym, I always wanted to work on my own and start my own business,” says Murrell. “So actually doing the [Spring Cleaning] health and wellness fair was part of… laying the groundwork of starting your own business and letting people know that you’re out there.”
She says that it was through Douglas Sports Science Lab instructor Ryan Cook, a mentor to Murrell, that the New Westminster campus became involved in the event. “He [Cook] really thought that [Spring Cleaning] was a great idea, and it’s taken a year… and finally we have Douglas College on board, so I’m really thrilled about that, because it really means a lot to me having graduated from the [Personal Trainer] program here.”
In addition, Douglas College Centre for Campus Life and Athletics is one of the exhibitors, and will be promoting their youth summer programs to the New Westminster community.
For the exhibitors, Murrell says, “One of our main requirements is that they [the exhibitors] have an interactive display so that they [can] engage the public at all times.
“We’ve got massage going on by donation, we’ve got… New [Westminster Parks, Culture, and Recreation]… bringing a rowing machine so you can try that out, Douglas College I just found out… is actually bringing [a] basketball hoop… and we also have yoga.”
Murrell adds the local kickboxing company she contracts for, Foxy Kickboxing, will be another exhibitor. Various demos will also be taking place, including kickboxing, “Japanese sword-fighting,” zumba, karate, and hip-hop and ballet for children.
The final demo being held is part of the “Spring Shave,” where donations gathered will go directly to the Canadian Cancer Society. Murrell’s niece, Jaycee Clarkson, a second-year Douglas Science student, will be cutting off her hair for wigs for cancer patients during the demo. New Westminster resident and SFU student Asim Renyard will also be doing a live leg waxing as part of the “Spring Shave” demo. “Spring Shave” runs from 3 to 4 p.m. and anyone wishing to donate online can do so through: http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/IFE_BC/IFE_BC_?pg=team&fr_id=16335&team_id=304764#.Uz2Ilig0naQ.
Spring Cleaning runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to the public. The first 100 families in attendance will also receive gift bags.
