Oct. 14, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

Some people just end up in the job that’s perfect for them.

That was the case with Lisa Rappana, a well-known member of the child care team at GreatLIFE’s Performance Center location.

“You just don’t see many people doing something that is their true calling, and to see how she loves every kid who comes in there is just a rare thing to find,” said GreatLIFE vice president Randall Hill, whose own young son is among Rappana’s fans.

“She’s really become like family to everyone who works here, and a lot of our members feel the same way.”

So when Rappana’s own family needed help, her GreatLIFE family stepped up.

Late in the summer, her husband, Dan, was hospitalized for what the family later learned was West Nile virus. It triggered so much inflammation of his spinal cord and brain that it has left him with hardly any movement or feeling in his lower body and very little in his upper body.

About a month ago, he was moved to a long-term acute care facility for what’s expected to be a long recovery.

“While there are encouraging signs that he is on a path to healing, this recovery is going to be a marathon and not a sprint,” Hill said.

It’s also going to be a costly one. To help the family with medical expenses, cover lost income and make necessary changes to their home, GreatLIFE will hold a workout fundraiser Saturday, Oct. 17, at Performance Center, which is at 69th Street and Southeastern Avenue.

The trainer-led, boot camp-style workouts will last 45 minutes and begin at 8, 9 and 10 a.m. for a $10 donation each. The GreatLIFE team will match all donations. Participants also can make a freewill donation that day to be entered into a raffle for personal training sessions and massages.

“We believe in taking care of our team, and Lisa is really a big part of our team,” Hill said.

“We’ve done similar fitness-event fundraisers for team members and members before, and they have gone really well, so we’re hoping for another good response. There’s something about working hard together, going through a tough workout together, that brings people closer together — especially when you’re not just doing the workout for yourself, you’re doing it for someone else.”

To register, call the Performance Center at 605-271-7324 or sign up through the GreatLIFE app. Email [email protected] with questions.