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VOORHEES, N.J. (FOX 29) - Dozens of women came out to Jabz Boxing on Sunday morning for a good cause.
The corporation, which has locations across the United States, partnered with Phoenix Children's Hospital to host boxing classes that benefit the Heart Effect organization. They advocate, educate, and fund programs and research for the Phoenix Children's Heart Center and Cardiac 3D Print Lab.
The Voorhees location, which just opened about four months ago, is the first Jabz Boxing on the East Coast. All of the proceeds from Sunday's morning classes, which they estimated to be at least $1,000, will benefit Heart Effect.
"Every single person who walks through our doors have been absolutely amazing and today proved it," says Joseph Vespe, co-owner of the Voorhees gym.
The cause is close to the heart of one of Jabz' members, literally.
Victoria King said she had an undetected hole in her heart until she turned 21 and suffered from two strokes. She underwent heart surgery about seven years ago.
"Leading up to it, I ran seven miles a day and was the most fit that I had ever been in my life, so I never thought twice about something going wrong," she says. "It's definitely a daily thing, I try to pretend that it's not, but I struggle with constant side effects from what happened."
King said she was thrilled to see her gym support a cause that could impact anyone at any time.
"It always amazes me the amount of people that support causes like this," she says. "Don't be afraid if you think something is wrong ask your doctor. Ask for you, for your kids, for your family, because I never thought it could happen to me and it did."