Atlanta Pull for Pride is back this year on June 15th. Team Lis Smash and The Fantastic Beasts partner once again with the Women’s Strength Coalition to host the 2nd annual Atlanta powerlifting benefit.
It’s a deadlift-only exhibition benefiting Lost-n-Found Youth. During the event at CrossFit Downtown Atlanta, lifters get three attempts to pull their heaviest deadlift possible.
Lifters of every experience level, gender and sexuality can compete. No weigh-ins or singlets (that’s the official name of that onesie thing lifters wear in competitions) are required.
Throughout the month of June, 10 different cities (nine throughout the US plus one in Canada) host the event. Two of the events already sold out, but there’s still time to register for this Atlanta powerlifting benefit.
Registration is $45. Go to www.pullforpride.com/atlanta and register now!
After you register, lifters are asked to raise $1 per pound that you hope to lift. All funds raised go to local Atlanta charity Lost-n-Found Youth (LNFY).
LNFY is an Atlanta based nonprofit (501c3) that exists to end homelessness for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) and all sexual minority youth.
Lift on your own, invite friends to sign up with you or make it a family event and create a whole team. This is the perfect opportunity to not only help raise money for a local charity but to also celebrate your strength and enjoy a fun and diverse lifting event.
If you attended last year’s ATL P4P, join us again for an even bigger and more entertaining event this time around. We’ll have a party with music, strong people lifting for a great cause, and raffle prizes donated by local sponsors. Some prizes will be available for anyone, lifters or spectators, to win. And others will be exclusive lifter only prizes.
GOT A PRIZE TO DONATE? EMAIL US!
David Holland is a board member of Lost-N-Found Youth and president of the Fantastic Beasts LGBTQ+ Powerlifting Club. He feels the agency continues to need support –both voluntary and monetary:
“Although there have been major strides in addressing homelessness in Atlanta, LGBT+ youth continue to fall through the cracks. They may have difficulty accessing traditional housing, a particular problem for trans youth.”
“Also, many of them get kicked out of their homes at a very young age, so they lack any basic life skills required to live independently even when provided permanent housing. LNFY provides wrap-around services that help fill these gaps and support these young people as they move into independent living to prevent recidivism,” David added.
Lost-N-Found supports youth ages 18-25 through a youth center and a transitional housing program. The agency provides youth in need with clothing, food, mental health evaluations and counseling, HIV/STD testing, health and dental services, GED training, testing and other education resources, resume writing/editing and interview skills. They also assist with lost or stolen birth certificates, driver’s licenses and state ID cards.
According to the organization’s website, Lost-n-Found Youth is the outgrowth of Saint Lost and Found, an LGBTQ homeless youth fund project of the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Founded by Rick Westbrook, Art Izzard, and Paul Swicord after each of them experienced being turned away when attempting to place queer youth into local shelters and youth aid programs, the three resolved that something needed to be done to address the immediate need.
Atlanta’s Pull for Pride needs you!
Please register to deadlift and raise funds so Lost-N-Found Youth can continue to meet the needs of young LGBTQ+ youth around the city.
This year’s goals are to recruit 40 lifters and raise $10,000 for Lost-N-Found Youth.
If you’re still on the fence about whether to participate, or whether you can fundraise, DON’T WORRY! Once you register you’ll get a welcome email with information on how to create a CrowdRise fundraising page where your friends, family, co-workers and random awesome people can make a donation.
For anyone nervous about participating, David has this to say about last year’s event:
“It was a lot of fun and very low stress. We had a lot of beginners, so no one should feel uncomfortable about lifting with us. Plus you get to meet a lot of cool people and maybe even find some people to lift with.”
For more information, visit the Pull for Pride website or the Lost-n-Found Youth website, or email Atlanta meet director Lis Smash here.
For Atlanta registration, donation or sponsorship info, visit the Atlanta Pull for Pride page.
Please join us for the 2020 version of this amazing Atlanta powerlifting benefit: Lift for Lost-n-Found, coming up on June 20, 2020.
