Lifting Culture Apparel Raises $7,250 for Black Lives Matter

When Steven Vitale started Lifting Culture Apparel in 2015, his main goal was to support the culture of fitness. “Culture and community for me is the foundation behind why we train each and every day,” Vitale said, adding that it’s especially important to step up when a community is in need.

One big thing: Most recently for Lifting Culture Apparel, this meant raising $7,250 by designing and selling 400 t-shirts and tank tops for the Black Lives Matter movement. This is not Lifting Culture Apparel’s first rodeo raising money for a good cause. This was their seventh fundraiser in the last five years and brings their accumulated total of donated funds to $25,000.

From last year’s bushfires in Australia to Down Syndrome Awareness, to Hurricane Maria that hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Vitale’s small company has raised money for a wide array of issues.

• “Whenever our global community needs assistance, whether it be due to a natural disaster, an activist movement, or simply lending a hand via our platform, we do everything we can to help in our own way,” Vitale said.

The BLM shirt: The men’s and women’s tops had the words ‘Lift Listen Learn,’ with #blacklivesmatter just below.

• “The design sheds light on the idea that silence is not the answer and we need to take an actionable approach to listen and learn about racial injustices that are still very much alive,” said Vitale, who started CrossFit in 2012 when he was playing rugby in college.

Though most of the fundraiser’s supporters were CrossFit athletes, Lifting Culture Apparel caters to “all domains of fitness,” Vitale explained.

The big picture: For Vitale, it’s not so much about raising money as it is about the fitness community coming together and showing that they care.

• “The fact that our community comes together to help a cause and share a message is more meaningful than not doing anything,” Vitale said.
• He added: “Our community of followers stand by our philosophy of upholding the culture (of fitness)…It surprises me every time we hold a fundraiser at how many people join to help the cause.”