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When Resilience Meets Generosity A Model For Business and
Community Success Through Generosity and
Collaboration By - Daniel R. Gaita, MA July 1st, 2015 What
started from a potential tragedy has morphed into an entity that
serves our nations combat veterans, fights for restorative justice,
collects food for the hungry and toys for underprivileged children,
all while helping its resident donors improve their health and
fitness in addition to fostering relationships between our civilian
and military members to assist our combat veterans with healthy
reintegration. An utter alchemy, which through faith, generosity,
and divine intervention will now expand to assist even more combat
veterans via relocation and collaboration. It started when the roof
collapsed on their building during the brutal CT winter of
2010-2011. Not a single injury, thank God. All businesses were
closed and the structure was deemed unsafe. As a result, Bethel
based Private Studio Fitness was out-of-business until that
unforgettable phone call. Mr. Gaita, said a man with a familiar
voice. It was Mr. Anthony DeMoura, my high school soccer coach and
guidance counselor. I heard about your building, and I am terribly
sorry for the circumstances. Would you like to relocate your gym to
my building? After telling him that our revenue numbers could not
possibly afford rent at the prime 120 Greenwood Ave location
(formally Bethel Cycle) He along with his son Steven and I began to
establish what we could afford. New Greenwood Ave location, Bethel
CT 2011
Collapsed Roof of Previous Location
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Within two months the relocation was completed and we reopened
in April, 2011. Were it not for the negotiated scaled lease terms,
everything from here forward wouldve never happened. The economy,
which had been crushed in 2008, destroyed the downtown Bethel
landscape. Bethels Greenwood Ave looked like a ghost town with over
a dozen empty storefronts. The town simply could not support
another fitness center as residents disposable income dried up.
Rather than dishonor a lease, fold up shop, and quit, the Gaitas
decided on an alternate path. They instead donated everything.
Following the loss of their home through a lengthy foreclosure
fight they managed to put any extra money they had towards
improvements to the new space. Then they took it a step further,
closed their for profit business and simultaneously re-emerged as
Operation Vet Fit, Inc., filed for and obtained IRS 501(C)(3) tax
exempt status and became a CT Public Charity with the mission to
assist our nation's combat veterans, active duty members and
affected family members through exercise, fitness, and group based
motivational activities and events. Accomplishing its mission
through free fitness club memberships, personal training, group
training and group based motivational events geared toward
fostering a healthy transition following combat service. It is
working! Today, only 3 years later, Operation Vet Fit serves 91
combat theatre veterans and active duty service members with an all
volunteer workforce, no paid employees, no local, State or Federal
funding, is a Guide Star Gold Certified Member, a nationally
recognized top
OVF members and donors participate in Bethel Memorial Day
Parade, 2014
OVF Founders meet with Congressional Aids in D.C., 2013
OVF Logo Left image of Founder, Dan Gaita giving a hand up to
Silver Star recipient, US Navy Corpsman, Todd Angell. 2012
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non-profit by Great Non Profits and a State and Congressionally
endorsed veterans charity. With a proven model of success as a
veterans charity and advocacy agency, Operation Vet Fit looked to
expand its mission to other geographical regions. With the State of
South Carolina in their sites, Operation Vet Fit only needed
someone that would purchase the fitness center so the expansion and
relocation south could begin. When a local Bethel based business
owner (who wishes to remain anonymous) showed up at the doors of
Private Studio Fitness, he entered with the goal of improving his
health and fitness. Little did he know, he would become a hero to
his community and over 90 veterans that served our nation. Within a
year he became the top donor, while providing a platform for our
success and expansion and additionally providing a golden
opportunity for one of our member soldiers. He trained 5 days a
week with Dan Gaita, U.S. Marine, co-founder of Op Vet Fit, and
volunteer director. With 100% of his training fees going directly
into the charity, Op Vet Fit was able to not only grow, but to
expand its services to include camping and river rafting trips,
NCAA football and basketball games, races, golf outings, comedy
nights and crucial advocacy services for our veterans that needed
immediate help. He greatly contributed to ensuring our capacity to
serve our combat veterans, which enabled us to make great strides
in our mission. Including this next one that will effectively
provide OVF with a satellite fitness center in Bethel, CT for its
combat veterans and funding to immediately expand our OVF Combat
Veterans participating in Bethel Memorial Day Parade
One of OVFs Founding Meetings 2012
OVF Veterans enjoying camping and river rafting 2012
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operation to South Carolina where OVF plans to open its second
location in the summer of 2016. On July 1st, 2015, Op Vet Fit sold
its fitness center and officially turned over all operations and
management to Tracy Deluise, OVF member, U.S. Army Soldier and
veteran of operations in Bosnia. Tracy is a Certified Personal
Trainer with many other specialty certifications and is also a
Licensed Massage Therapist. Her new Bethel Fitness location is open
and ready for business.
Through this collaboration our collective goal to keep all
current combat veterans gym memberships free has been accomplished.
Additionally, Tracy will be honoring all previous pricing, while
reducing the monthly fee for any current members paying more than
the new rate of $49.99/mo. To ensure this benefit for our veterans
remains viable, she will need the help and support of the Bethel
community to ensure the continued success of her new Bethel Fitness
facility. This is what happens when generosity meets
resilience. It is a model for success for our entire community
and a road map of how it is done. One that I hope the property
owners along Greenwood Ave realize before all their storefronts are
empty. We all have a responsibility to positively impact our
communities and set an example for the leadership and the next
generation. If we can do it, so can you. We are hopeful this
example will provide that impetus.
WXCI W-Sexy Guy OVF Fundraiser Volunteers Connie, Val, Erin and
Kristen 2014
Combat Veterans and Volunteers enjoy Lime Rock Park 2015
OVF Founder, with First Iraq War Female Amputee, and Director of
UCONN EBV Program 2014