On Saturday, April 9, San Diego State hosted Ex 4 Vets, an hour long physical fitness fundraiser that raises money to help disabled veterans in San Diego.
Over 300 SDSU students and community members participated this year and raised nearly $29,000. Kappa Sigma co-hosted the event with Embrace, a non-profit organization that partners with college students to help less fortunate civilian and military veterans. The money will go to remodeling the homes of disabled veterans.
“I structured the fundraising mechanism so half of the money that student teams raise goes back to them,” said Sean Sheppard, the founder of Embrace. “I feel strongly about helping as many people as possible whenever we do an event.”
This is the second year Ex 4 Vets has been held on campus. The four years prior were held on the USS Midway. Kappa Sigma was the top fundraising team for the fourth year in a row, raising $9,613.
“Their fraternity really connects with our organization and what we stand for,” Sheppard said. “Whatever we do, we know that Kappa Sigma will be there.”
Cindy Whitmarsh, the Ex 4 Vets fitness instructor, said she loves having the event on campus.
“I just see it growing every year because everyone has so much fun,” Whitmarsh said. “And having it on campus is the perfect way to get students involved.”
Whitmarsh and a team of instructors led the group in aerobic and kickboxing training. With only a few water breaks, they kept the large group moving for almost an hour straight.
“It was a workout,” Kim Crisafi, a member of the Delta Gamma team, said. “It was really cool because they had the veterans there and they were working out with us. It was a really upbeat and energetic time.”
Embrace plans to continue to hold the event on campus. They hope to get more campus involvement next year.
