A head coach at a Portland Orangetheory gym is under a cloud after claims he pocketed money meant for charity surfaced. Ryan Tong, the gym's star trainer, is accused of failing to forward thousands of dollars in donations raised through charity classes to local nonprofits.
According to Orangetheory members, Tong had promised to donate the class fees to selected charitable organizations. However, an investigation by KGW revealed that at least eleven charities did not receive their promised funds. Daniel Borgen, an Orangetheory member and board member of one of the beneficiary nonprofits, expressed his community's sentiment, "Looking back, we all should have known better."
Despite boasting on social media about raising over $500,000 for charities, the missing money remains in question. Some donors chose to support the nonprofits directly, but many others opted to Venmo their donations to Tong, believing that the funds would also receive a matching contribution from his corporate tie-ups—a promise that now appears to have been hollow.
"It was so brazen, it was hard to register anything untoward was going on," Borgen told Willamette Week. The situation prompted Borgen to inquire after one charity, discovering several others were also missing their due contributions. This unraveling of events prompted Tong's suspension and a police investigation, with a spokesperson confirming the case remains open, although no detective has been assigned yet.
Calls for transparency and responsibility are growing among the Portland community and the impacted nonprofit organizations. Dara Wilk, development director for Period, voiced her frustration to KGW, stating, "This incident underscores the importance of corporations to act transparently and with integrity with nonprofits and donors to ensure that intended funds reach those most in need." Meanwhile, Katie O'Brien, executive director of Rose Haven, lamented the misuse of people's goodwill.
The scandal has left Orangetheory members and the charities involved questioning the donations' whereabouts and the measures the fitness company will undertake to rectify the situation. "I think we’re determined to make it right and come out the other side and do some really good work for these charities," Borgen expressed, via KGW, hope for a resolution. Despite the setback, the experience has served as a stark reminder to individuals like Borgen and other members to vet charitable endeavors thoroughly and to better safeguard their philanthropy in the future.
