Julia Sanders

Back-to-school season can be stressful for families who are already managing a tight budget. With the new school year in full swing, Gym Management Services wanted to ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed by hosting two different school supply drives.

Throughout the month of July, GMS collected donations of school supplies in its clubs in California, Oregon and Washington. Members were encouraged to donate backpacks and school supplies for kids in need. These donations were given to the local Boys & Girls Clubs and school districts.  

Gym Management Services also had a community backpack drive in Anchorage, Alaska, where it collected over 720 backpacks stuffed with school supplies. The backpacks were filled with necessary items that kids may need for school, such as pencils, pens, folders, crayons, markers, scissors, glue, paper, hand sanitizer, tissues and reusable water bottles. After the donation period was over, GMS opened its doors to the community and gave away the backpacks to kids in need throughout Anchorage. As a group, they were able to donate over 1,300 stuffed backpacks to their local Boys & Girls Clubs, school districts and families in need. Their managers and regional managers got to meet with the kids when they dropped off the donations, and the kids could barely contain their excitement about the new backpacks.

“It was so nice seeing the reactions of the kids and the coordinators. All of them were very grateful and excited. I could tell one of the coordinators was holding back tears, and that’s when I knew we were really making a difference,” said Richard Padilla, regional manager at Gym Management Services.

Community involvement, especially with fitness-related events, is what Planet Fitness^® franchisees do best. On June 29, in Roswell, Georgia, Flynn Group attended the 2025 GA400 Century Bike Race, which brought in a large crowd of cycling fanatics. From 7 to 9:30 a.m., around 300 cyclists competed in multiple races, and community members came together to watch the action and cheer on the competitors. Those who attended were able to enjoy the food and beer trucks, as well as live music.

Flynn Group attended the event to get involved with the local community and share the benefits of being a member at Planet Fitness. Throughout the day, four of Flynn’s staff members spread awareness about PF^® at their tent, handing out PF swag giveaways, including drawstring bags, beach balls and water bottles. Hundreds of guests passed through the event throughout the day, making it the perfect opportunity for Flynn Group to find new potential members and interact with current PF members.

“The event had a great turnout. A lot of the guests who visited our table were current members of our club, so it was fun to interact and engage with them outside of our usual work environment while still helping bring brand awareness to those who were not so familiar with PF,” said Tuaka Jumbo, regional manager at Flynn Group.

Since 2017, Planet Fitness^® has shown its commitment to a judgment-free and kind world by awarding scholarships to deserving teens who show the Judgement Free Zone^® and anti-bullying values Planet Fitness stands for. The Judgement Free Generation scholarship recipients have shown that they are passionate about promoting kindness and inclusion in their local communities.

This year, Planet Fitness provided 50 high school seniors from around the United States with $5,000 scholarships that directly support their post-secondary education and a one-year PF^® Black Card membership. Of the 50 teens, 50% of winners were first-generation college students, and 78% belonged to underrepresented minority groups.

Flynn Group celebrated their own local teen, Christopher Curioso, who was one of the 50 Judgement Free Generation Scholarship recipients PF recognized from across the country. Curioso is a member at The Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester in Massachusetts, and Flynn Group has a Planet Fitness club nearby in Dorchester.

Since Curioso was local, the franchise group wanted to acknowledge him for his great accomplishment. The group welcomed Curioso to their PF Dorchester location, where they had a check presentation. Flynn staff also gave him PF swag, along with a $250 Amazon gift card that he can use toward college necessities.

“Boys & Girls Club Dorchester was excited to partner with our friends at Planet Fitness in Dorchester to recognize club member Christopher C. with one of the 50 Planet Fitness Judgement Free Generation Scholarships offered across the country through Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The scholarship recognizes Chris’s academic excellence and his commitment to inclusion. Congratulations to Chris and thanks to our friends at Planet Fitness for making this opportunity possible,” said Senior Vice President of Operations at the Dorchester Boys & Girls Club Mike Joyce.