Six Years of Sweat & Suds: How a Community Fitness Event Became Something Bigger

There's a moment at every Sweat & Suds where the energy shifts.

The workout is done. The music is still going. And people who showed up as strangers are standing around talking like they've known each other for years.

That moment is what the event is built for.

What Sweat & Suds Actually Is

Sweat & Suds is a co-ed community fitness event hosted by KeepFit and co-hosted with Amanda from Diraddo Real Estate. Every year, it brings a couple hundred people together in Bowmanville for a coached outdoor workout followed by a full post-event social — live music, drinks, food, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you forget you just worked out.

All proceeds go to SickKids Hospital.

It isn't a charity run. It isn't a gala. It's a fitness event that genuinely feels like a celebration, and the cause behind it is the reason it keeps getting better.

The 2026 Event: By the Numbers

This year's event was held at Maple Grove Orchards with 140 guests in attendance. Between ticket sales and sponsor support, the 2026 event raised $16,800 for SickKids Hospital.

That number doesn't happen without an extraordinary group of local businesses who showed up to make the event what it is.

Event Sponsor: lululemon

Drink Sponsors: Ole Cocktail Co and High Noon

Live DJ: DJ D. Money

Station Sponsors: Bond & Bloom, The Mama Coach — Deanna Kennedy, Monarch House, Bentley West Roofing, Birchmount Interiors, 19Thirteen Mobile Dental Hygiene

Recovery Station: HealthSpace Collective

Photography & Videography: Castle Real Estate Marketing

Swag Bags (100!): Moda Salon

Each of these businesses brought something real to the day. The sponsors are not logos on a banner — they're the reason guests walk away with a full experience, from the recovery station to the swag bag to the photos that make it onto everyone's feeds.

Why SickKids

SickKids Hospital serves children and families from across Ontario — including right here in Durham Region. When a child in this community needs critical care, SickKids is often where families end up.

The decision to raise funds for SickKids was never complicated. It's a cause that hits close to home for a lot of the people in this room, whether they know it or not. And every year, that connection makes the event feel like more than a workout.

What Six Years Looks Like

We've been doing this for six years now. Across those six events, Sweat & Suds has raised $53,262 for SickKids Hospital.

Year over year, the event has grown in attendance, in sponsor support, and in what it raises. What hasn't changed is the reason we keep doing it. The community shows up. The energy is real. And at the end of the evening, something has been built that wasn't there at the start.

What's Next

The 2027 Sweat & Suds is coming — and tickets will be available soon.

If you were there this year, you already know you want to be there again. If you missed it, now you know what you missed.

Get on the list to be the first to know when tickets drop and follow along on Instagram @keepfit.women and @keepfit.hq for updates.