220 Fitness Celebrates Its First Anniversary by Allan Peach

Matteo Baker has had an outstanding career in the fitness industry. With over 16 years in management positions with Golds Gym, Powerhouse, and Equinox, Matteo has done it all, or so he thought.  Then one day, while chatting with his close friend Wladimir Klitschko, the Ukrainian heavyweight boxer and longest reigning heavyweight champion of all time.a new spark was lit. Klitschiko suggested that Matteo should take the plunge, stop working for others and start his own gym empire.  At first, Matteo thought his friend had taken a few too many punches, but then the idea started to jell. Matteo began to dream about bringing a first class gym to Santa Monica. He would mix old school gym techniques with an upscale modern environment to create a unique experience for the Westside fitness enthusiast.

220 Fitness

Matteo Baker's 220 Fitness Gym opened on Main Street in Santa Monica, CA in January of 2011.  Opening any new business in the middle of a recession was risky, but Matteo brought his years of know-how to the project and equipped the facility with the best modern equipment and some of the savviest fitness trainers on the west side.  The business soared.  Celebrities including Don Cheadle, Rhada Mitchell, Oscar winner Mickey Rourke, and of course heavyweight champ Wladmir Klitschko flocked to 220 Fitness.

Fitness maven Matteo Baker

The latest equipment at 220 Fitness

One year later, on January 26, 2012 220 Fitness celebrated its first year anniversary and the fulfillment of Matteo's dream. It was birthday bash with movie stars, great food and drink, a fabulous DJ and an amazing rock band.

Jhe Nedd, 220 Wellness Manager, Evan Russo, trainer, David Olan, member,
and 220 trainers celebrate #1 second to none

Trainer Tiffany Savion

Trainer Gerald Edwards and Group X instructor Jessie Chauncey

Anthony Cooper (220 Sales), Henry Lau (220 Sales Manager), 

and Gerald Edwards (220 Trainer)

220 Fitness Trainer Jason Pease and Dr. Po Leknickas of 220 Wellness
with date

Jason Pease and Gerald Edwards

Renee Mann

Gina Monteil

Gina Monteil 220 Membership advisor 

and Jessie Chauncey Kangoo instructor

Gerald Edwards and friends

Jhe Nedd and Anthony Cooper

Actress Suzan Crowley attended, fresh from some rave reviews for her performance in the #1 box office hit, The Devil Inside. The amiable Brit actress was all smiles and laughs, a far cry from her role as Maria Rossi in the cinema verite shocker Devil.  Carl Weathers of the Rocky franchise attended as did John Schneider, Smallville's Jonathan Kent aka Brainiac, and Emmy nominated Disney animator, Todd Waterman was seen schmoozing with peakPRgroup CEO Christine Peake.

Suzan Crowley, star of The Devil Inside and

The Draughtsman's Contract 

Matteo Baker and Suzan Crowley

Smallville's Brainiac, John Schnieder

Christine Peake with actress Suzan Crowley

Matteo Baker, Christine Peake, Suzan Crowley and Justin Pease

Actress Suzan Crowley with Moofaces' Brandon Jay

Suzan Crowley with BillyBow and Kay Painter publishers of FitnessX

The Fish Co., My Teen Topix's favorite seafood restaurant provided the food, including a clam chowder to workout for. The liquid refreshments were supplied by Honest Ade, Powerade, smartwater, EmergenC, Fuse, Coca-Cola among others. 

A delicious spread was supplied by The Fish Co.

  

smartwater supplied the water

Powerade quenched some thirsts

Brandon "DJ Noel 2033" Noel supplied the music mix upstairs, while later the Stevie Starlight band kept the party going with some great music on the parking lot turned dance floor.

DJ Noel 2033, prince of the platters, mixes it up

Stevie Starlight performs

Ian Stone on drums and Joe Sax on bass

Outside, the 220 Fitness members and guests  listen to the band

Lucia Luise

CEO of the peakPRgroup, Christine Peake said,  "this was a terrific turn out, we are so grateful for the members we have here at 220 Fitness and excited for all the new members who joined the gym tonight," 

Christine Peake, CEO of the peakPRgroup and 

Heather Nesis 220 Fitness Consultant

peakPRgroup CEO Christine Peake looking fabulous after

putting the event together

This was not just a celebration, but also a chance to give back to the community. "I cannot believe we have made it one year," said CEO Matteo Baker, "well here we are! I am so very proud of what we have achieved here, I am also proud to give back to the community and the American Red Cross on this special night." 220 Fitness held a silent auction with items donated  by 220 Fitness,  Puma, celebrity chef Jule Ann Rhodes, Pasha Jewelry, Luxelab, and Palantino on Montana Ave.  Proceeds of nearly  $2000 from the auction went to The American Red Cross in partnership with the OneHope Foundation. One attendee who bid on a $500 gift card from Pasha Jewelry said that if she won, she would put the card toward a wedding ring for her husband.  Who knows, maybe next year at this time, we'll be celebrating a wedding anniversary as well as 220 Fitness' second year in business. 

220 Fitness gives back to the American Red Cross in the form

of a silent auction

Puma donated some cool gear to the Silent Auction 

for the American Red Cross

Dr. Rob Amonic Chairman of the American Red Cross Santa Monica with

Matteo Baker, CEO of 220 Fitness

Dr. Rob Amonic and Dana Johnson from the Red Cross with

Matteo Baker and Jason Pease from 220 Fitness

Suzan Crowley and Dr. Rob Amonic

Kelsy Howard, American Red Cross Santa Monica

David Joyner TV's Barney and Hip Hop Harry, and 

the lovely Dana Johnson from the American Red Cross

Brandon Jay and Tavares Robinsongreen founders of Moofaces

Heidi Carignan, 220 Fitness Group X director with friends

The 220 Story

a peakPRgroup event

Photography by Allan Peach & Mercedes Escobar

Video courtesy of YouTube

American Red Cross "Heroes Breakfast" honors supporters of Disaster Preparedness

On November 17, the American Red Cross of Los Angeles, held their second annual Heroes Breakfast at the prestigious California Club in downtown Los Angeles.  The breakfast was held to honor those businesses and individuals who have shown outstanding leadership in raising awareness for disaster preparedness in the Los Angeles area.

The fundraising event was emceed by Los Angeles Channel 11 newscaster, Christine Devine, who has been a loyal supporter of the American Red Cross and disaster relief.  Devine introduced this year's winners of the Community Heroes award.

Christine Devine, David Spade, and

Paul Shulz, CEO of the American Red

Cross of Greater Los Angeles

The honorees included former Saturday Night Live cast member, David Spade.  Spade is a dedicated supporter of the American Red Cross' effort toward disaster relief. and   was a major contributor towards the organization's tornado relief effort in the midwest and southeast of the United States, a few months ago.

Comedian and humanitarian 

David Spade

Los Angeles City (District 9) Councilwoman, 

Jan Perry

Additional honorees included Los Angeles City (District 9) Councilwoman Jan Perry, Forever 21, Panda Restaurant Group and The Walt Disney Company for their continuing support of Red Cross disaster relief efforts. 

Forever 21

Panda Restaurant Group

The Walt Disney Company

The theme for this year’s event was, “PrepareLA+”, which focused attention on the launch of our three-year campaign to engage Los Angeles in preparing for a catastrophic disaster by mobilizing support from individuals, organizations, businesses and government agencies to create more disaster resilient communities. “PrepareLA+” helps the American Red Cross to confront the need by strengthening their capacity to meet their federal mandate of feeding, sheltering, and caring for citizens of Los Angeles following a catastrophic event. 


By supporting the “PrepareLA+” initiative, this allows the American Red Cross to expand their cadre of skilled disaster volunteers, create new partnerships with communities to ensure they have the resources to support effective and immediate disaster relief and by empowering ordinary people with the lifesaving skills and preparedness education to do extraordinary things in the face of emergencies. 

PrepareLA+

Gunnar J. Kuepper, president of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Region Nine and chief of operations for the Los Angeles-based Emergency & Disaster Management, Inc. was the guest speaker at today's Heroes Breakfast. This independent agency advises private, industrial and governmental organizations worldwide on state-of-the-art emergency and disaster handling. 

2011 Sponsor companies included The Walt Disney Company, Southern California Edison, Panda Restaurant Group, Herbalife, Credit Suisse, The Rand Corporation, BP British Petroleum, Los Angeles Business Journal, Grant Thornton, Wells Fargo Bank, Acacia Wealth Advisors Zumbox and Hyde Family Foundation. 

Public Relations for the event was performed by the peakPRGroup and its CEO Christine Peake

peakPRgroup CEO Christine Peake and her son 

Oliver

Attendance by all at the breakfast demonstrated the commitment to and support of the ongoing efforts by the Red Cross and other preparedness organizations for “PrepareLA+” , an initiative to help build a stronger, better prepared and more disaster resilient community. “PrepareLA+” will ensure that the Red Cross will have the resources to prepare for and more fully respond to disasters locally.
To see how you can support the American Red Cross go to:
www.redcrossla.org

photos and text by Christine Peake, peakPRgroup