CrossFitters are extending an invitation to work out and raise money for the Marion L. Shepard Cancer Center in Washington.

Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the doors to BOCO CrossFit, at Fitness Unlimited in Washington, will be open for BOCO Strong to anyone who wants to contribute to the goal of a combined distance of 1 million meters of running, biking, rowing, walking, skiing and more — whatever exercise works for the participant.

“The day of, we’ll have log sheets so people will log their meters, or miles. It could be anything — run, ride, walk,” said Manny Vidal, head of BOCO CrossFit. “So, members, non-members, bring your family. It’s kind of a full community fitness/cardio day and whatever we hit, we hit that day.”

Vidal said people can come in for two hours or 20 minutes — time doesn’t matter, but contributing to the overall goal helps.

“I picking a million (meters) because you need about 100 people to participate. We wanted more than just people in our gym to participate,” Vidal said.

There are a few ways to contribute to the cause: by bringing in a cash or check donation for the drop box; participating in the silent auction that runs through the week and donating items to the silent auction or purchasing a T-shirt specifically made for BOCO Strong.

The cause is personal for Vidal: he has a group cancer survivors he’s regularly trained at Fitness Unlimited for several years and he’s watched the effects of exercise on them, both mentally and physically.

“You can tell that there are some days that they have that energy, and some days they don’t, but they always feel better when they work out. … Sometimes, they’re a little down when they come in and when they’re leaving they’re laughing and joking,” Vidal said. “They all have their stories, but they all seem to work better when they’re working together.”

And that’s the purpose behind BOCO Strong: raising cancer awareness and money for the facility that serves cancer survivors together as a community, according to Vidal.

For more information, call Fitness Unlimited at 252-975-7400, email Vidal at vidalpeakfitness@gmail.com or visit BOCO CrossFit’s Facebook page. Donations also can be made online at bococrossfit.com. Fitness Unlimited is located at 622 W. 15^th St., Washington.