Julia Sanders

For many, childhood summers felt like the world was their oyster. One day you’d set up a lemonade stand to make some quick cash. You’d spend all day outside doing whatever activity you and your friends could come up with. But for many kids around the country, these moments are few and far between. That’s why this summer, United Fitness Partners joined forces with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley to host seasonal-themed events throughout the Phoenix metro area.

The first event hosted was “Lemonade Day.” Planet Fitness® clubs across Phoenix set up lemonade stands for members of the Boys & Girls Clubs to run. The goal wasn’t for the children and teens to just sell lemonade, but also learn how to start, own and operate a business. The multi-week hands-on entrepreneurial initiative had no shortage of excited volunteers ready to make lifelong memories.

“Our teammates are always excited to volunteer at these events. The staff and kids are always excited to host us and priceless memories are made,” said Dana Edwards, senior corporate communications and PR manager at United Fitness Partners.

In addition to the lemonade stand initiative, United also hosted summer fitness events across the Valley. Hosted at the Gilbert and Avondale Boys & Girls Clubs, attendees could participate in activities such as limbo, football, egg walk, parachute toss and fitness dice. PF® volunteers at the Gilbert event reported 100 total kids, making it United’s biggest event with the nonprofit organization to date.

“It’s important for our teammates to engage with the local community to share how we can help support a healthy lifestyle and give back to those who are around us,” Edwards said. “In our gyms we create a micro community, and we want to celebrate and support those outside of our walls as well.”

The successful summer partnership marks 10 years of UFP and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley working together to make a difference in the local community.

On the border of Southern Texas sits the city of Laredo, a city that prides itself on having a strong, tightly knit community. Taymax’s Planet Fitness® clubs in the area have exemplified the importance of volunteering and being present in the community this summer by attending impactful events and partnering with local sports teams.

Every week in May, the city of Laredo hosts “National Police Week,” an entire week dedicated to honoring the Laredo Police Department and its commitment to keeping the city safe. The police department hosts a plethora of events throughout the week, from honoring deceased officers to hosting philanthropic events. Seeing and understanding the impact this week has on their local community, Taymax’s Laredo area clubs joined in the effort to give back. On May 9, Laredo PF® clubs attended the Back the Blue 5K Run event as part of a sponsorship between them and the police department.

“Supporting first responders is our way of showing appreciation for the individuals who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our community,” said Marco Garcia, general manager for the Laredo PF clubs. “We believe in building strong relationships with those who make a difference every day, and we are proud to recognize their commitment while promoting health and wellness.”

The volunteers from the clubs set up booths by the start/finish line to connect with the attendees of the event. The team handed out hydration for the runners as well as day passes, massage passes and Planet Fitness promotional items such as water bottles, key chains, etc.

“The interactions were overwhelmingly positive. We had the opportunity to meet many local families and first responders, answer questions about Planet Fitness, and share information about our clubs,” Garcia said. “One of the highlights was seeing how appreciative attendees were that local businesses continue supporting community events.” 

In addition to the Back the Blue event, Laredo PF clubs inked a partnership with the Laredo Heat. The Heat are a semi-professional soccer club competing in the USL League Two. The partnership includes tabling at two home games during the season as well as in-stadium signage with the PF logo at all matches. In addition, players for the Heat can receive complimentary memberships at the local clubs during the season. With all eyes on soccer this summer, the partnership was even more valuable.

“The Laredo Heat holds significant meaning for the Laredo community as the city’s only semi-professional sports team.  Partnering with them enables us to authentically connect with a local audience and demonstrate our shared support for a beloved team,” Garcia said. “Furthermore, with heightened interest in soccer during a World Cup year, increased attendance and awareness have amplified the value of this partnership.” 

The Taymax-owned clubs attended their first home event and held push-up and jumping jack contests for attendees of the game. The winners of the competition could select prizes such as day passes, rally towels and more. 

“I strongly believe these types of community events are very beneficial and will drive a positive ROI long term,” Garcia said. 

Sometimes all it takes to kickstart a bigger movement is to simply be there for your team members and lend a helping hand. That’s exactly what kick-started a new tradition for Taymax’s College Park club in Toronto, Ontario. A team member whose daughter suffers from epilepsy simply reached out to her team members and invited them to join her in a charity 5K event hosted by Epilepsy Toronto, thus kickstarting a new ritual for the Planet Fitness® club.

“The idea to get involved with the epilepsy walk started in 2024 when one of our long-standing member services representatives, Michelle, invited our team to support her daughter who suffers from epilepsy by participating in the 5K epilepsy walk held near College Park in downtown Toronto,” said Alina Zaib, general manager for the College Park club. “Around six or seven of our team members joined the walk, and after experiencing the event firsthand, it was clear how meaningful it was for the epilepsy community.”

On June 20, the Taymax-owned club attended the 12^th annual Purple Walk for Epilepsy for the second year in a row as a corporate sponsor. Staff members who attended the event led the participants in a pre-walk stretch, carried the PF®-branded banner throughout the walk and gave away a free 12-month membership as the walker prize. In addition, a booth was set up to engage with attendees and hand out free merchandise.

“At our booth, we connected with participants, handed out Planet Fitness giveaways, and celebrated the incredible sense of community the event fosters. It was a great success, and since then, the epilepsy walk has become an annual event that we’re proud to support,” said Avi Vawda, area director for Taymax.

The event has always felt like a great fit for the Toronto area club. The branding of the event has always been purple, the official color of epilepsy awareness, which matches the PF brand.

“We recognized that Planet Fitness would be a great fit as a sponsor. The walk’s focus on health, wellness and community aligned perfectly with our values, and is held right next to our College Park club located in the heart of the event. It felt like a natural partnership,” Vawda said. “Even our signature purple branding matched the epilepsy walk’s purple theme. They brought the idea forward to our marketing team, and once it received approval, we proudly hosted our first Planet Fitness booth at the 2025 epilepsy walk.”

The College Park team plans to return annually to this event to support the cause and be a helping hand for the epileptic community.