Hello! My name is Krissy Mae Cagney. I am a recovering addict/alcoholic with five years sobriety under my belt and also the sole owner of Black Iron Gym in Northern Nevada. At Black Iron Gym, I give out free memberships to people like myself with one goal in mind: to help them stay sober in a safe, friendly environment through group fitness, counseling, and more. This program is called Reps 4 Recovery, and we’re raising money with GoFundMe so we can keep it running.
I grew up in Reno and my drug and alcohol problems were at their worst between 15 and 25. I was put through countless rehabilitation programs and I saw a plethora therapists and counselors; these methods work well for some people, but something I never had was a safe place where I knew I could be (and stay) sober. During my years of using, the gym seemed to be the only thing with the power to pull me away from using. I truly believe there is something to be said about that, so I opened the Black Iron Gym 3 years ago and created the Reps 4 Recovery program (R4R). I want more people in need to feel the power I did to overcome.
Since launching Reps 4 Recovery, I have been able to help well over 100 people in my community stay sober through fitness, community, and a “home” they want to keep coming back to. I have seen doctors, college students, lawyers, and more come through my doors and they all want the same things… to be sober, to be accepted, and to be loved. My staff and I give them all of those things, as do the other members who have been in the program for a while. We truly make each other stronger.
My business model has always been to provide as many free gym memberships as possible with the money that comes in. Unfortunately, not enough is coming in to properly support the Reps 4 Recovery program. I refuse to turn people away and in order to expand the program, hire help, and bring in more recovery warriors, I need you to help me (and my amazing staff who makes this all possible) offset the cost of providing free, training, equipment, coaching, group talk, programming, software, and clothing.
If you have ever struggled from addiction or alcoholism, or you have a loved one who has, this is a huge opportunity to help someone in need by providing them with a free gym membership. I firmly believe in the notion that fitness and lifting can act as treatment for substance abuse problems. I believe it, because it worked for me and I am a firsthand witness at seeing it work for countless others.
Many people have remained sober through fitness and everyone deserves the chance. Money will be managed through the Black Iron Gym bank account, and your donation could potentially save a life. Every donation and the love behind it is meaningful.
$60,000 would support 70-90 people for a whole year or 140-180 people for 6 months. I’ve seen that around the 6 month mark, a lot of people are able to begin supporting themselves with a paying membership. It’s amazing to see them give their free spot up so a new Reps 4 Recovery member’s journey can begin.
I just wanted to give all my donors a quick update of where things are at with Reps4Recovery. As you might know, today is Giving Tuesday. I’m confident that today might be the day we meet our GoFundMe goal & close our campaign. If you can, I ask you to donate $5-$20 today to help make that happen, as we are moving on to some pretty cool things.
R4R is officially filed as a nonprofit corporation with the state of Nevada & we are currently awaiting 501c3 tax-exempt status from the IRS. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will happen by end of year, but it is looking like it will be early January. It has been quite the process & I have learned so much along the way. This is by far the scariest thing I have ever done, but given how many lives we have already changed, I know the stress & fear are without a doubt worth every second of it.
We have 100 people in recovery, THRIVING in the gym because of your donations. The gym would not have been able to afford to take on this many people if it were not for this campaign. On top of our 100 regular R4R members, we have Sundays reserved entirely for people in recovery & no membership is necessary. This has been a great way to get involved with the sober communities in the area that can’t fully commit to being at Black Iron Gym regularly, but want to be involved in a sober active lifestyle.
We have added recovery specific classes during the week, coached by coaches in recovery. We have been able to offer recovery yoga to the entire Reno-Tahoe area. We have been able to add to our team by putting members through certifications, thanks to your donations. We are able to offer more sobriety resources than ever. We have people clothed. We have people fed. We have people employed. If it went for your donations this year, none of this would be possible.
Making this final $22,000 would mean that Reps4Recovery would achieve a very big goal today. A goal that means we could potentially go Nationwide in 2019. I appreciate your support this year SO much. Thank you for believing in me. I won’t let any of you down. We have another update video coming soon.
Please be sure to follow the Instagram page to meet the members and coaches you are helping!
We're raising our goal one last time to $120,000 which would allocate $10,000 a month to the program for the next year - this includes the cost of an in-house therapist! This aggressive goal would allow us to appropriately budget the program, as opposed to saving as much as possible and wondering if/when more funding is coming in. This security would also help us create a replicable model worthy of being brought to other gyms and a long term funding plan to make this program nationwide. This funding plan could allow us to project when and how we would be able to afford to put Reps 4 Recovery in other locations, the ultimate goal which would impact families far and wide.
Most treatment programs cost upward of $5k, and we might be able to show that we could "treat" someone for an average of $1,200 a year. Reps 4 Recovery works - what if it were available in every community?
Success, gang! I am blown away that we finally did it… we reached my initial goal of $60,000 which means I can support nearly 100 people for the rest of the year. That being said, I am putting my stretch goal out there, as a long term dream of R4R and BIG has been to bring a counselor on staff. This would mean the Black Iron Gym could potentially become a recognized treatment facility. This added resource could be what makes or breaks the program, and raising above $85,000 could be what allows us to not have to turn anyone else away.
I want to thank all the amazing donors for joining our team and highlight some comments - these feelings donors have posted echo everything we work toward with R4R. It’s been a joy to read them.
I'm over the moon with happiness to share that we partnered with the incredible humans at GoFundMe Studios to create a documentary about Black Iron Gym's commitment to helping people in our community recover from addiction through lifting and friendship. Please check it out for me, as it's so important!
I made a donation in loving memory of my dad who was also a recovering alcoholic. I was so proud of how he turned his life around and then gave back to the community that saved his life. He started a stand up paddle board business with the same idea to provide a safe place for people in recovery. He tragically passed away last October doing what he loved. This touches my heart so much and I pray you are able to continue providing a safe place at your gym.
I’m so freaking grateful. Thank you so much for the support, the kind words, the donations, the shares, and the love!! I’m going to help as many people as possible.
I donated because both of my parents were alcoholics. I admire what you' ve accomplished and think its awesome that people are turning their lives around. God's blessings to you.
I am so excited about this! I think that the more we burst the doors open on modalities of therapy and treatment, the better! I love the way that you offer community to people who- due to lack of cultural wisdom- cannot find it else where. Many people think that sobriety is the opposite of addiction. But its not. Community, connection is the opposite of addiction. Thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you are doing. Changing lives. Being impactful. Loving and supporting. I support and celebrate you!
go with your discipline and grow.
Next week I celebrate 10 years of being clean and sober. The gym was one of the things that helped me get out of my head and away from my demons. Glad to support someone giving others this chance at life and at a life worth living. Those of you who seek sobriety, I hope you find whatever it is that makes whole because drugs and alcohol sure didn't do it for me!
Love every bit of this. Thanks for all your work. I hope to see more and more of this in the future!
if this blows up into something big, I want to be a part of it. reach out to me if that is a possibility.
Incredible story. Keep pushing forward and best of luck. Addiction is a tough road to stray from and those who do are heroes of their own destiny. I donated because I believe in your cause. My love goes out to all those being helped.
My parents are alcoholics. They have been for as long as I remember. Love is the only thing that I've seen that fills the place where they put drinking. Whenever they relapse, showing them love is the only way they make it out of that dark place. That's what I see here with R4R. You are showing people that they can beat their addiction with a community that loves them. I just wish I had more to give.
on behalf of Heather Hamilton.