At the inaugural Anchored In Iron event last year, a father who is part of the Hannah’s Care Packages family competed in his first powerlifting meet in memory of his son.

Jessica Ball, founder of Hannah’s Care Packages (HCP), said seeing what that meant to that father was a special experience; she knew they had to bring the event back and make it even more special for HCP families and lifters this year.

“Hannah’s Care Packages is a local nonprofit that delivers care packages to families who have children in the hospital for long periods of time,” Ball said. “Packages are filled with toiletries and necessities for moms and dads so that they can take care of themselves while their child is being cared for in the hospital.”

Anchored In Iron, hosted by Iron Mafia/Four Brothers Gym and CrossFit Strode Station, is a charity event benefiting Hannah’s Care Packages.

Shana Miller, a member of Iron Mafia, said it was a no-brainer to host a charity powerlifting competition for HCP.

She said Josh Tackett, owner of CrossFit Strode Station, had the same mindset for the charity and wanted to give back to the community.

Ball, who is a powerlifter herself, said Anchored in Iron came about a couple of years ago after HCP delivered to a member of the Iron Mafia, a powerlifting team in Mount Vernon.

“I’ve known the Iron Mafia family for quite some time,” Ball said. “… Delivering that package and being there for this particular family that was in the hospital and bonding with them through this whole process, I think brought us even closer.”

Iron Mafia approached Ball to organize a charity powerlifting competition for HCP, and last year, the organizations hosted their first competition benefiting HCP.   

“They raised a little over $6,000 for us last year,” Ball said.

Lifting starts at 9 a.m. Saturday. Admission for spectators is $10 per person; children 12 and under are free.

Marlana Vanhoose will sing the national anthem at the start of the event. The BarnYard Grub food truck will be on site serving breakfast and lunch. The food truck will donate 10 percent of its proceeds to Hannah’s Care Packages.

The entry fee for lifters is $100 and features full power, push-pull, bench only and deadlift only lifts. Lifters interested in participating must weigh-in and sign up between 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. Saturday at CrossFit Strode Station. The event is sanctioned, which means all lifts are accountable and can count toward records.

There will be face painting and coloring for the kids, as well as a quiet room for those needing a break from the noise.

“We’ve got face painting, we’ve got crafts, coloring … temporary tattoos,” Ball said.

HCP merchandise will also be on sale. Several Clark County businesses helped sponsor the event or donated items to the event including Thompson Catering, Bypass Rental Center & Hardware, Ale-8-One and more.

“All these local organizations … have come together to make this happen,” Ball said.

All Hannah’s Care Packages recipients can view the event and eat free at this event. These competitors are lifting in honor of each family. HCP families who are involved in Team Anchored in Hope pair with a local lifter who supports HCP and wants to give back.

“It shows our families who are struggling with health a different version of strong, but also on the other side of things, you look at these lifters who look at these kids and what they go through, and they’re like, they’re way stronger than I am,” Ball said. “It’s a really neat aspect of pairing powerlifters with families with critically ill children. A lot of people don’t realize they think it is just a bunch of big burly guys just getting here lifting heavy weights, and yeah, they’re lifting heavy weights, but almost every single person in the sport, they have a big heart too. So when you throw a charity event on top of the meet, it just brings a whole new meaning to that event.”

Families and the lifter receive each other’s contact info and are encouraged to interact via social media, phone, Skype or even in person. The goal is to connect with this lifter on a deeper, more personal level.

“Last year, we inspired one of our moms to go to the gym,” Ball said. “She’d never been to the gym before and so just being a part of this competition last year, she decided to go to the gym, and she’s lost quite a bit of weight.”

HCP, founded in 2015 and based in Richmond, delivers all over the U.S. HCP has delivered care packages to about 26 different states so far, Ball said.

“We can deliver just about anywhere,” she said.

Ball said she hopes Saturday’s event here in Clark County brings awareness to the organization.

“For Hannah’s side, this is a community that we haven’t reached,” Ball said. “We have a couple of families that live here that we delivered to, not very many. And I know they’re out there. I know that there are families who need this support system and need what Hannah’s can provide. So we want to get out into the community and let them know that we’re here.

And that they can call on us when they need us.”

Ball said anyone could refer a family to HCP through its website, hannahscarepackages.org. HCP is also looking for volunteers, Miller added.

Ball said HCP also accepts monetary donations to help put on medically friendly and sensory-friendly events for families throughout the year as well as to build more packages.

Ball said she is reminded of how meaningful a care package can be when recipients return to HCP to give back.

“We had a local family whose son was diagnosed with leukemia, and we delivered a package to them,” Ball said. “Unfortunately, he passed away about a year ago. And his mother contacted me shortly after and asked if she could start delivering packages with us. And I was blown away. I was like everything that you’re going through, and you’re still mourning, but yet you want to comfort other families who are going through the same process, and it just made me take a moment and think about what we do …

“People think it’s just delivering a package, but it is not. We are touching people’s lives, beyond anything we could have ever imagined.”