THUNDER BAY – Earlier this month, former Underground Gym member Jayden Kreiger made a donation to the facility to help a new generation.
“I used to come here when I was a little kid. Like every day, it was fun,” Kreiger said.
“I helped them out because they used to buy me food and pizza.”
Kreiger said he received a land claim and wanted to give the Underground Gym $1,000.
“They give kids stuff to do," Kreiger added. "I stand on the corner in front of the street here and I see them come with a bus full of kids every day, so I still know he's (owner and operator Peter Panetta) doing stuff for the community and helping people.
“I thought that I'd give him some money to help out because I know that it's fun and it's a getaway to come here and do stuff.”
The Underground Gym gave Kreiger somewhere to go as a child.
“It gives you good stuff to do, stay out of trouble and take your mind off stuff,” Kreiger said.
He added that if he didn’t have the Underground Gym, he would probably be somewhere he does not want to be.
“It's better to be here, than out there,” Kreiger said.
Panetta said he remembers when Kreiger came to the Underground Gym as a child.
“He came out with us, hung out with us and what's ironic about all this is that you don't realize that you're making some kind of an impact," Panetta added..
“I only knew that just recently when he came back and he said, ‘Hey, you know what, you're helping the kids, I want to help you out.’ I thought that was pretty cool."
Panetta said the money will be used for whatever is needed at the time, such as gas for the bus or for food
Chyenne Panetta, executive director of Underground Gym, said there is a lot to do at the facility.
“Unless it's a boxing night which is strictly boxing, they come here," Chyenne said. "They play, they do art, they do pottery, they cook, they eat, they go on the computers. They just mess around and hang out.
"Not only is is a safe space for children, it's an understanding space. I have a background where I can understand a lot where these kids come from and a lot of the way that they think and their mentality.
“They need a mentor but they also need a friend and somebody that will listen with no judgment and completely understand and guide them in a way where it's not pushy.
“That's really what it is. It's a place where they can come and they can call us family and they can call us home.”
Chyenne said that on an average evening the Underground Gym sees between 40 and 50 children, but the scope of how many people they help is a lot bigger.
She felt inspired by Kreiger’s donation.
“It's so icool to know that somebody wants to give back to the next generation and wants to support them," Chyenne said.
“It shows that we have a big reach and that we're doing something, something's working in the lives of these kids and in their hearts. Maybe we don't see it every day, but it's there."
