Blog Posts

The holidays can be a happy – and stressful – time. Many parents find the holidays stressful due to the extra pressure of juggling finances and buying presents for their children. The Flynn Group attempted to lift financial stress from families in need with its fourth annual toy drive.

From Nov. 11 to Dec. 13, the franchise group had donation bins in all of its locations, including its nine Massachusetts locations and 31 Georgia locations. The toys collected were given to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, which collects and donates toys to economically disadvantaged children during the holidays. In 2024, the Toys for Tots Program provided over 30 million toys to nearly 13 million children in need, according to the organization’s website.  

During the holiday season, the Flynn Group was able to collect over a thousand toys between all 40 of their locations. Toys collected ranged in size and included something for every child, including stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, board games, action figures, sports gear, books, art supplies and puzzles. Thanks to the generosity of their clubs, the Flynn Group was able to brighten the lives of many who are less fortunate.  

“Our members have become accustomed to our toy drive, which has helped enable us to collect more and more toys each year. The support and generosity of our members is overwhelming; they really go above and beyond to help make our toy drive so successful and we are truly grateful for them,” said Mike Leonard, regional manager for Flynn Group.  

The holiday season in Newnan, Georgia, was brought to life with festive cheer as the community gathered for the Annual City of Newnan Christmas Parade on Dec. 14. Among the 109 groups who participated in the parade, Flynn Group stood out as one of the parade participants with their creative and vibrant participation.

The franchise group had a Rudolph-themed car, which was decorated with sparkling lights. The lights twinkled as the car rolled through the streets, spreading holiday cheer to onlookers of all ages. Flynn Group staff members handed out candy canes to parade attendees. They also distributed purple and yellow glow sticks, ensuring that Planet Fitness^®’ involvement with the local community would shine brightly in people’s minds. The glow sticks illuminated the parade route, providing families and children a fun, PF^®-colored souvenir to take home.

Flynn Group’s involvement in the parade helped elevate the event, making it an unforgettable experience for those who attended. Additionally, the franchise group’s participation helped bring awareness and excitement to Planet Fitness, ahead of Flynn’s grand opening of a new club in the town on Jan. 22.

“This was a great community event and a fun way to bring awareness to our new location opening in Newnan. The turnout was amazing, and everyone was very excited to hear that a Planet Fitness was coming to the area,” said Senior Regional Manager at Flynn Group Tiffany Key.

Many Atlanta and Georgian natives struggle with food insecurity. In fact, 1 in 8 people are food insecure in the state, according to the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s website. This figure hits close to home for Flynn Group, which has 33 locations in Georgia and seven in Atlanta.

In November, 10 staff members at Flynn Group took time to give back to its local community by lending a hand at the Atlanta Food Bank, which fights hunger in Atlanta and north Georgia by collecting and distributing donated food and goods. Due to the group’s acts of kindness, it was able to provide 4,819 pounds of food – the equivalent of 4,016 meals for families and individuals facing hunger. The group would love to volunteer at the food bank again, as it was a rewarding experience for the team.  

“Our team had an incredible time making a difference volunteering at the Atlanta Food Bank. Team members from our area locations came together to lend a hand and the energy was electric, as we sorted and packed food for those in need. It was a fulfilling experience that reminded us of the power community and the joy of giving back,” said Director of Training & Development at Flynn Group Timothy Morrissette.

Planet Fitness^® franchisees care not only for its members but also for its furry friends in the local community. Throughout the month of December, Excel Fitness’ team in Draper, Utah, organized a pet supply donation drive, in which items were donated to the Humane Society of Utah.

The drive was met with overwhelming support from members, who generously donated items for the cause. Donations collected included cat food, dog food, treats, blankets, towels, cat toys, dog toys and even puzzles for staff. In total, about 14-20 bags of supplies were collected and donated, not including five 50-pound bags of food.

The Humane Society of Utah is a private 501(c)3 nonprofit animal welfare organization, which helps over 11,000 cats, dogs, rabbits and other small animals in need of loving homes each year. The organization works hard to provide loving care for the animals in need of homes. The animal shelter prides itself on being a no-kill shelter. Thanks to Excel’s pet supply drive, the humane society was able to provide even better care for its animals in need.  

For the second year in a row, the co-ops in Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois, including EPIC Fitness, Impact Fitness, Red Mountain Companies, Pinnacle, Black Duck Partners and Dobrinyo/Shebanie Group, helped bring a little of the New York Times Square New Years’ celebrations to local partners and endorsers with custom Planet Fitness^® celebration boxes. 

The franchise groups sent the celebration boxes to major stations and local news outlets. The boxes had Planet Fitness branding, were labeled with individual names and loaded with PF^® swag, including the signature New Years hats. The boxes advertised “Getting Stronger in 2025” to generate excitement about the new things happening within Planet Fitness and to reinforce what was being advertised nationally.

“This idea was built from one executed by PFCSC a few years back,” said Mary Scott, VP of marketing for EPIC Fitness Group. “We loved the look of their program, so we decided to put a local twist on it.”

Many of the local partners who received the boxes loved the goodies, and they shared their excitement on social media. In Detroit, the co-op marketing professionals delivered boxes to the entire talent lineup of the popular radio show “MOJO in the Morning” on iHeart Media, along with a $10,000 donation to the show’s charity. As a result, the radio show had a 10-minute interview on the program discussing Planet Fitness’ new plate-loaded strength equipment, community outreach programs, New Year’s resolutions and more. The celebration boxes were a great way to increase community engagement and encourage excitement around Planet Fitness and the new year.

“Ten minutes of positive PR airtime is not easy to achieve and is a testament to our long-standing relationships combined with some creativity,” Scott said. “It will be difficult to top the results of this year, but we are already thinking of ways we might do that for 2026.”