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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