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In July, Taymax Group led the way for future generations by opening the first ever mini Judgement Free Zone^® in Canada. With the location at the BGC West End Community Centre, Taymax will bring healthy living and fitness to more than 3,000 children in the area.

Taymax donated 28 pieces of cardio equipment, including arc trainers, ellipticals, 14 bikes and treadmills, to the space. The mini gym also began offering free structured fitness sessions for more than 700 children in September. The club provides other programs for children such as the All Female Running Club and Junior Sports League. During these programs, children train after school on treadmills and use the cardio equipment, as well as use the BGC South East facilities to participate in sports leagues such as basketball and indoor soccer.

On the day of the mini JFZ opening, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with Taymax President of International Jessica Sisk Roehle, Regional Marketing and Community Investment Manager Rudy Petrillo, General Manager Kimberly Traill and General Manager Patrick Leroux in attendance.

The location is all part of the Planet Fitness Judgement Free Generation initiative, designed to fight teen bullying and encourage kindness. The first ever mini JFZ in a Boys and Girls Club opened in 2016 in New Hampshire, and since then, the company has opened more than 30 mini Judgement Free Zones across the United States. Planet Fitness now has its eyes set on expanding the mini gyms further into Canada.

“Teens have so much energy, and we want to help channel and develop it in a positive way,” Executive Director BGC South East Harold Parsons said. “We know that if children start learning fitness skills early and exercising regularly, they will develop a host of physical competencies that will set them up for a healthy life.”

PLNTF Holdings went to bat for local charities in Chicago this past summer, serving as the presenting sponsor of the 2022 Run Your Sox Off fundraiser, an annual race that includes a 5K run or a one-mile walk for participants. The Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball team hosted the race at Guaranteed Rate Field, and the money raised went to the Chicago White Sox Charities, which supports numerous Chicago-based organizations.

More than 1,600 runners and walkers participated in the race, and roughly 1,000 spectators cheered people on the sidelines. Several members of the PLNTF Holdings team ran in the race, including Chris Short, Rachel Fierro, Carl Westmoreland, Melvin Vega, Lajuwon Farley, Steven Luna, Dylan Lisciandrello, Joel Saucedo, Carly Becker, Hand Espinoza and Anel Solorzano.

In addition, Rachel Fierro worked in the Planet Fitness^® booth on the concourse after the run with Adriane Gil-Ramos, Eric Buskus, Julie Rebolledo and Angelica Portalatin. At the booth, the PLNTF team had a prize wheel where winners took home Planet Fitness branded items. Many people were excited to win PF^® prizes, leading to a long line for the PLNTF booth. More than 1,000 people spun the prize wheel!

Planet Fitness also received recognition throughout the race with PF branding displayed throughout the ballpark via the White Sox’s large screen LED monitors.

Chris Short, director of communications and external engagement at PLNTF Holdings, said PLNTF loved being a sponsor of the event. This year was the first time the franchise group was the event’s sponsor, and they hope to be a sponsor again next year.

“We felt like this was a great way to be involved in an event that enabled us to reach thousands of potential members who like to be active in the Chicago area, while also doing something for a good cause in that all of the proceeds went to Chicago White Sox Charities,” Short said. “The recognition the Planet Fitness name received via advertising and marketing both ahead of the event and during the race was outstanding. The Planet Fitness name was everywhere!”

Planet Fitness^® strives to promote healthy habits for its members, especially for its younger members. Establishing good exercise habits early can greatly benefit a person’s health. Planet Fitness’ High School Summer Program is just one of the ways the brand creates healthy habits early on for members. PF^® franchisees also strive to promote health in teens in other ways.

For example, PLNTF Holdings partnered with the Illinois High School Association as an official fitness partner of IHSA, promoting football rivalries and the 2022-2023 basketball, wresting and football state championships. In the “IHSA Football Rivalry Series presented by Planet Fitness” initiative, there were six marquee matchups throughout the fall season that include PF in-venue signage, PA announcements, on-site activation, social and digital amplification and on-field presentations. The partnership allowed for the area’s high school sports to be promoted and also offered a great advertising opportunity for Planet Fitness.

“We pride ourselves on being very involved in the communities where we have clubs and what better way to establish strong community bonds than through being involved with high school athletics,” said Chris Short, director of communications for PLNTF Holdings. “Having our teams on-site to interact face-to-face with coaches, teachers, students and parents is invaluable in establishing a great relationship in a location.”

PLNTF Holdings signed the deal for one year, with an option for a second year. The first year will end just as Planet Fitness approaches the next version of HSSP in 2023. At that time, the franchise group will decide whether to renew again based on the results of the program. This is the first time PLNTF Holdings has partnered with IHSA.

“This is a perfect extension of the work we put into the HSSP program and securing the designation as the official partner of the IHSA is an extremely powerful marketing position for us to attain,” said Ed Bourelly, vice president of marketing for PLNTF Holdings.

When a team member enjoys going to work and has a strong relationship with their co-workers, they tend to stay in a position longer, leading many businesses to identify opportunities to cultivate a positive work environment. P-Fit Development saw the perfect chance to bring together managers for a bit of team-building this summer.

In August, the franchise group took time out to bring 11 members of its team – general managers and two members of the executive team – for a day of activities geared toward strengthening their bond. Hosted by Group Dynamix in Carrollton, Texas, the event included several different types of puzzles and challenges that P-Fit Development had to work together to solve within a specific time frame. The purpose of the team-building event was to give the GMs a chance to work together and to increase communication and trust within the team.

After the exercises, the company gave a debrief to help relate back to the franchise’s core values and what that might look like inside the clubs.

“Something I learned from this is you can’t do everything on your own. Things get done better as a team. Everyone has different ideas, and there’s more than one option to get things done. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind or opinion because it might work out,” said Vanessa Torres, general manager of the Columbia Avenue location.

P-Fit Development looks forward to hosting future team-building events with Group Dynamix and trying new challenges!

Having a strong, tightknit team in place plays an important role to a company’s success. For Ohana Growth Partners, strengthening the teams’ bond included a colorful, outdoor adventure at the ER Paintball Park in Hollywood, Florida.

Regional Director Ray Hagler and General Manager Leah Shields organized the four-game series of paintball for the Ohana Growth Partners Florida leadership team, which included territory general managers, assistant general managers, fitness trainers, high-performing team leads and senior leadership. About 25 team members competed in the team building activity.

The group protected the president, captured the flag twice and protected four corners. This activity focused on communication, trust and collaboration to work past fear and obstacles to reach a team goal. After the paintball competition, the group rested and recharged with a team meal at a local waterfront restaurant.

“It was very unifying for our group to come together and bond,” Shields said.

Ohana’s annual team-building activity changes location and theme every year. Planning is underway for next year’s event, which is rumored to be an aqua challenge.