East Peoria Gym Hosts Kick-a-thon for Children's Home

Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping raises over $1,500 for local children's charity

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping in East Peoria, Illinois hosted its third annual Kick-a-thon on Saturday, with participants taking part in 45-minute kickboxing classes throughout the day to raise money for the Children's Home Association of Illinois. The event had already raised over $1,500 as of Saturday afternoon, with more donations expected.

Why it matters

The Kick-a-thon allows the gym's community to give back to a local children's charity that supports programs and services for children and families in the region. It demonstrates how fitness centers can leverage their engaged member base to make a positive impact on the community.

The details

Participants in the Kick-a-thon took part in multiple 45-minute kickboxing classes held throughout the day at Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping. Donations from gym members and other community supporters helped raise the funds for the Children's Home Association of Illinois, a local nonprofit that provides various programs and services to support children and families.

  • The Kick-a-thon was held on Saturday, March 8, 2026.

The players

Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping

A local gym in East Peoria, Illinois that hosted the third annual Kick-a-thon fundraiser.

Children's Home Association of Illinois

A nonprofit organization that provides programs and services to support children and families in the region, which was the beneficiary of the Kick-a-thon fundraiser.

Molly Best

The manager and head coach at Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping who organized the Kick-a-thon event.

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What they’re saying

“The Kick-a-thon is one of those amazing things that we get to do with our community. This year we're raising money for the Children's Home. We have a lot of members of our gym that are connected with Children's Home, whether they work there or volunteer there.”

— Molly Best, Manager and Head Coach, Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping (centralillinoisproud.com)

“We have the best community and when something is important, they show up. They show up for each other.”

— Molly Best, Manager and Head Coach, Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping (centralillinoisproud.com)

What’s next

The Children's Home Association of Illinois plans to use the funds raised from the Kick-a-thon to support its various programs and services for children and families in the region.

The takeaway

The Kick-a-thon demonstrates how fitness centers can leverage their engaged member base to make a positive impact on the local community by hosting charitable events that support important causes. It highlights the power of community-driven initiatives to raise funds and awareness for nonprofits that serve vulnerable populations.