Paycom Employees Raise Thousands Through Burpees For Vets

Paycom employees are raising money ahead of Veteran's Day with Burpees for Vets. One employee is sharing why she was inspired to do over 10,000 burpees.

Friday, November 3rd 2023, 6:02 pm

By: News 9, Colby Thelen

OKLAHOMA CITY -

The campus at Paycom this week has been extra sweaty as employees work to raise money through a burpee challenge.

Each repetition recorded since Monday added an additional donation to the veteran non-profit Courage Foundation.

The employees raised $133,963 over 5 days.

The burpee move may seem simple, but it’s not easy. Most describe getting up as the hardest part.

However, they viewed the effort as worth it and hoped it would make a difference for the foundation helping veterans overcome PTSD.

“It’s designed to re-engage physical and mental wellness and build a skill bridge between transitioning out of active duty military service to civilian life,” executive director of Courage Foundation, Sidney Ellington, said.

The foundation provides a year of immersive training to veterans at no cost to them.

A dollar was donated by Paycom for every completed rep.

Employee Marcela Rodriguez alone raised $10,520.

“I’ve done I think at least 2000 a day,” Rodriguez said.

It’s not because she finds them easy. In fact, it’s not easy to keep going when everyone else is done.

She keeps going because of her motivation, her boyfriend Mike – a Marine.

“He served during the Iraq War,” she said. “I always say Mike left his soul behind at war. He came back a different person.”

He came back, she says, with severe PTSD.

“It’s very difficult to talk about PTSD,” Rodriguez said. “How it takes over somebody’s existence.”

A year ago, Mike died.

“This first year has been the most difficult of my life,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been a very difficult ride to see somebody fall apart, not wanting to keep being here.”

The things most difficult are rarely simple, but Marcela keeps going by thinking of those like Mike.

“So brutal on my body and on my mental health, but I think it’s a small sacrifice I can pay forward to somebody else who wants to live,” she said.

It’s why she gets up again and again.

“I have to just keep going. Yeah, push harder.”

To learn more about Courage Foundation, click here.