W.H. business owner celebrates eighth anniversary

Vita Zorbo recently celebrated her eighth anniversary as a West Hempstead business owner.

The Lady of America Fitness for Women proprietor has been a proponent of giving back to the community — it’s “an integral part of doing business in the community,” Zorbo said. Since 2007, she has served as an executive board member of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, and has been a member of the West Hempstead Community Support Association and Kiwanis Club, as well as the Franklin Square Chamber of Commerce.

“The economic climate these last several years have made running a small business tough,” Zorbo told the Herald. “Reaching eight years in business and still going strong is something I am proud of. I am fortunate to have such loyal customers who appreciate the attention to detail and a great staff that provides excellent customer service. There is a great energy that is felt as soon as you walk in the door. In the spiritual world the number right means new beginnings.  So for our eighth year we mark it as a brand new year with new opportunities and new possibilities to explore.”

Zorbo often holds fundraisers to help support local schools and organizations, but she’s particularly fond of lending support to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for which she has raised nearly $50,000 in the five years since she started her annual Ab Crunch Challenge fundraiser.

Another way in which Lady of America gives back to the community is by offering free memberships every summer to teenage girls, ages 13 to 17, to help raise awareness of teenage obesity. To meet her 2011 goal of expanding that awareness, Zorbo adopted several of  Lady of America’s new programs, including Zumbatomics for children between the ages of 4 and 12, and Randirobics for children between the ages of 4 and 7.

“[We] enjoy helping women make lifestyle changes so that they can live healthier and happier lives,” Zorbo said of herself and her staff members. “There is no greater feeling that seeing women achieve results.”

Hempstead Town Councilman Ed Ambrosino presented Zorbo and several of her employees with a certificate of recognition in honor of the eighth anniversary.