The F3 Crossroads Foundation Story
The Crossroads Foundation (F3 Crossroads Foundation, NFP) is an Illinois registered 501C.3 not-for-profit entity (EIN # 86-2094240). The co-founders, Jon Walrath and Kevin Thurlby, started this foundation as a way to do more for their community.
In 2019, Kevin started his fitness journey with a group of men from Naperville, IL. Their early morning workouts aligned well with his schedule and Kevin achieved great results working out with this group. Wanting to share this group with others from his neighborhood, Kevin started posting on social media to invite others to join. Jon’s wife shared these posts with Jon and with some convincing from other friends, he soon joined the workouts with Kevin in the neighborhood and achieved similar results.
While this local group did have support from a larger national group, it never formalized into anything more than just some guys getting together to workout. Additionally, participation in this group is limited to men only. Women in the neighborhood quickly noticed Kevin’s social media posts and asked to participate in the workouts, but had to be turned away. Realizing this left a huge void in the community, Jon and Kevin decided something more inclusive was needed.
They created the F3 Crossroads Foundation as a way to bring everyone, from all walks of life, together through fitness. They also have a larger vision to support more than just fitness goals, but a goal of a better community. A community that supports its local businesses, schools and individuals in need. The co-founders also have a large entrepreneurial spirit and felt it was also important to formalize a legal entity to protect its members and be properly insured to protect the liabilities of the local parks and businesses we support and work out in.
The vision for the Crossroads Foundation is that by getting FITTER, we are able to go FASTER and then together we can go FARTHER. We invite all individuals to join us, whether they are just starting their fitness journey or are avid marathoners. As a group, we can work together to help each other achieve our goals. It is not just about fitness, but also volunteering to create a better community. Our schools, businesses and even some individuals need support and we believe we can provide that support if we can work together.
Fitter - Faster - Farther
Co-Founder Stories
Kevin Thurlby
Kevin Thurlby finds enjoyment and a sense of pride in supporting charitable organizations. He has been a frequent participant in the Polar Plunge, raising thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Illinois. He has also participated in athletic events to raise money for the American Cancer Society, Gallant Few and JDRF.
Kevin grew up athletic and stayed active through team sports, but never really felt like he was in great overall shape. Eventually his fitness activity became less of a priority and Kevin found himself “out-of-shape”, weighing an all-time high of 291 lbs. In 2019, a friend invited him to join a local workout group that helped him prioritize fitness as part of a healthy lifestyle. Since then, Kevin has lost over 80 lbs through fitness and healthy lifestyle habits. He has transitioned into a daily runner and with a push from Jon, is taking on distance races that he never thought were possible.
Kevin enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences with others who are looking to kickstart or improve their fitness journey. He is committed to paying-it-forward by helping others in the community achieve their goals.
Jon Walrath
Jon Walrath is an avid not-for-profit supporter and the owner of a local business that supports the fundraising efforts of multiple charities and organizations. He also sits on the board of a well-known veteran charity that brings awareness to veteran mental health and suicide.
While he was an elite athlete most of his life, Jon found that after college he was distracted with "life" and had gained over 100 lbs. He began his fitness journey at 274 pounds, barely even being able to complete a mile run. After altering many of his poor habits and finding support in Kevin, Jon has lost over 70 lbs to date. He has regained his passion for running and is planning on completing his first marathon this year.
He looks forward to sharing his journey with others in the community to help them find accountability for a healthy lifestyle. Jon is also very passionate about giving back to the community and believes it is easy to just "live" in a house, but it takes a team to create a thriving community.