Tough workout, soft gifts for young Iraqis

Framingham nurse Meredith Wolff has been collecting Beanie Babies for a decade, and she's been meaning to get herself back into shape since giving birth to her son about three years ago.

So personal trainer Matt Elder's idea for a Beanie Baby Boot Camp, which offered a 45-minute fitness class for the price of a couple of Beanie Babies that would be going into the hands of children in Iraq, sounded like just the ticket.

Elder recruited Wolff and about a dozen other people to participate in his inaugural workout, and he collected hundreds of Beanie Babies to ship to American soldiers serving in Iraq to hand out to local children as a good-will gesture.

While the 23-year-old is still looking for the money to send the first 360 stuffed animals to Iraq, he is making plans to turn the boot camp into a monthly event.

According to several websites that offer suggestions on gifts to send overseas, soldiers appreciate having the plush, beanbag-like stuffed animals to carry around and hand to Iraqi children whom they meet on their rounds.

That made participating particularly worthwhile for Wolff.

``A lot of people don't think about the people and kids that are living among all that's going on. The kids are just innocent bystanders of the whole war," she said. ``Plus, somebody told me they are taught that Americans are evil, horrible people, and this might show we're not."

Others, even those reluctant to put in the physical commitment, apparently thought it was a good idea, too.

After word of Elder's plans spread, he started getting donations of Beanie Babies from people who did not plan to work out. One person donated 75.

Those who showed up for the Sept. 19 workout at Framingham's Bowditch Field were treated to an intense 45 minutes, said participant Susan Faccenda , of Southborough.

The 48-year-old said she is no novice to working out. She's had a personal trainer before and done weight training, but she'd recently lost her motivation.

``It was fun, because it was outdoors and with other people," Faccenda said. ``When you're on your own -- I tend to work out on my own -- it's hard to make it interesting. I can always come up with an excuse not to exercise, but if I've made a commitment to someone, I'll show up."

The only problem was, Faccenda didn't have any Beanie Babies. She has a son, who was never swept into the Beanie Baby craze. So a friend provided one, and she bought a second one.

``It's a great workout, and it's virtually free," Faccenda said. ``What's not to love?"

Elder acknowledged the boot camp has not hurt interest in his small business, but he insists that is not his primary aim.

``I'm in no way actively promoting myself before, during, or after the camp, but it does create rapport and gets more people to know me," he said in an e-mail. ``Heck, I didn't even give out my business cards at the camp."

He has rough plans to hold the next boot camp Oct. 17. The theme will remain the same, at least for now.

``Obviously, as situations change overseas, I'll change what I'm doing," he said. ``One of the reasons I'm doing this is that some people are prowar and some people are antiwar. No matter your opinion of the war, you can't be against the kids over there and their situation."