The people exercising at Hard Charger Training Center in Thousand Oaks are working for more than just their personal fitness goals. They're also working out for a cause.
The gym held a special Borderline Boot Camp on Saturday to raise money for the families of the 12 victims of the mass shooting that took place at the Borderline Bar and Grill on Nov. 7.
The bootcamp's organizer, Miguel Juarez, says fitness can provide a form of healing to the residents of a city still reeling from the shooting and the effects of the Woolsey Fire.
"You can push past the physical pain you feel in here, then mentally too you will get stronger," he said.
Juarez, a decorated Marine, says his brother-in-law and several of his colleagues survived the shooting.
Time inside the gym offers a respite from the emotional toll of the past week for people like Nadia Foster, an employee of Cal Lutheran University.
"Trying to stay calm for them in the midst of the chaos between work and school and home, trying to keep it together has been hard," Foster said.
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Chris Paul, Assistant Dean of Students Cal Lutheran, comes to Hard Chargers five days a week. She says the workouts help give her strength to carry on.
Attendees of the Borderline Boot Camp filled a glass jar with more than $1,000 in cash in just a few hours Saturday morning. Juarez is also accepting donations to his Venmo account: @TheMarineMiguel. He says 100 percent of donations will go to the victims' families.
"We will stand up to evil and come together - stronger than ever," he said.
