Barrie Baycats and F45 put on a sweat to raise money and send kids to summer camp

F45 and Barrie Baycats fundraiser The Barrie Baycats partnered with F45 Southwest to raise money to send kids to camp this summer.

It was a day of high fives, sweating and getting your heart racing for a good cause. The Barrie Baycats partnered with F45 Southwest to raise money to send kids to camp this summer.

"We've got an awesome turnout today. We're here to help the Baycats and a couple charitable organizations, all to help send some kids to camp. There's a lot of deserving kids out there that might not be able to afford it. Nothing is like sports camp in the middle of summer," says F45 Southwest owner and operator Mitch Scott.

Baycats players, members of F45, and other fitness enthusiasts all worked for a good cause. The 45-minute workout consists of high-intensity interval training.

"It was tough. A great workout. I haven't done something like that in a while, very humbling too," says Barrie Baycats Centerfielder Canice Ejoh.

The Send a Kid to Camp program supports eight local charities - including Empower Simcoe, the Seasons Centre and United Way.

"We have members who are donating on top of their membership but also I was giving essentially free classes to people that wanted to come. Instead of giving it to us, it goes all right to the Baycats and the kids," says Scott.

Last year, they raised $2,000. This year, the goal is $2,500, which will cover the fees for eight children.

"For some of them, it's their only way to get out for the year. For some of them, it's another chance to get better. And these are camps that allow kids to do what they love and follow their dreams," says Barrie Baycats catcher outfielder James Anderson.

Donations were collected throughout five F45 classes during the day.

The summer camps start in July and will last four weeks.

"I was at the camp last year, helping out. Just the amount of impact we gave those kids was a really humbling experience. I think it was a great experience for me to give back and to show kids how to work hard at something and enjoy it," says Ejoh.

The Barrie Baycats will play their home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 16.