An introduction between Steinfeld and Bettman through Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis led to a friendship and eventual a stick tap from Bettman to help the actor, fitness personality and entrepreneur’s goal of ending childhood obesity and fighting mental illness after initial inquires to the state of New York went unreturned.

“Jake has been an industry leader in the fitness world for decades and his DON’T QUIT! campaign is a wonderful endeavor that the NHL is happy to participate in,” Bettman said. “Promoting exercise and healthy living is paramount but to step up and actually provide the physical fitness centers in these communities for our young people, who might otherwise not have had this opportunity, is truly a reflection of Jake’s generosity. The NHL is proud to partner with and back this noble mission.”

The program is limited to schools with kids in what Steinfeld calls that Gumby stage, where they’re still growing and learning that if they exercise, they’re healthier and more focused. The objective is gifting fitness centers worth $100,000 to all 50 states by the end of 2024 and goes beyond showing off muscles. Each is financed through public/private partnerships with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Elevance Health Foundation and Nike, without a reliance on taxpayer dollars or state funding.

Long before Steinfeld went Hollywood, he grew up in Baldwin, New York, overweight with a bad stutter, so his father bought him a set of weights at age 13 to build his body and confidence.

On the wall of the 66-year-old’s home office in Los Angeles is a poem etched on a plaque called “Don’t Quit,” written by Edgar Albert Guest, those two words having defined his formative years though adulthood and a personal vendetta to end childhood obesity and fight mental illness.