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PLNTF Holdings remodeled its Beech Grove club in Indianapolis, adding new wall lockers and brand-new televisions, remodeling the locker rooms, updating the drinking fountains and repainting and retiling the gym. Additionally, the group updated the Black Card Spa with a new ceiling and lighting. It also added new stair climbers as part of the project.

The group sped to celebrate the reopening of their Beech Grove club during the last week of July, inviting NASCAR star Joey Logano to the celebration. He signed autographs and took pictures with Planet Fitness^® members and guests for more than two hours. Over 300 people showed up to the Beech Grove location to mark the renovations.

“We were thrilled to see so many auto racing fans show up at the event to help us celebrate the remodel and reequip of our Beech Grove Planet Fitness,” said Murphee Pellman, operations project manager with PLNTF Holdings. “To see more than 300 people come out to our club and get a chance to meet Joey Logano was a perfect way for us to show off the new equipment at our club. It was a wonderful day with a fantastic crowd.”

In combination with PLNTF Holdings’ Martinsville grand opening, members were offered the chance to win tickets to the VIP NASCAR & IndyCar Series Races at the Indianapolis Speedway. The race series included three races: NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and IndyCar Series Race Weekend. The group had two VIP sweepstakes winners for the NASCAR tickets, and it also partnered with Hank FM radio via live remote at the event to give away four additional pairs of race tickets. PLNTF Holdings really knows how to show appreciation for their Planet Fitness fans!

“With a major NASCAR event in Indianapolis that weekend and so many auto racing fans located in the Beech Grove area, we knew Joey would be the perfect fit to help us draw attention to the positive changes we have made to the Beech Grove club,” said Chris Short, director of communications and external affairs. “The event provided us with the perfect showcase for the club, while also rewarding fans with a chance to meet their favorite race car driver.”

PLNTF Holdings sponsored the Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce’s Back to Work Boot Camp. The purpose of the boot camp was to help veterans gain skills on how to change career fields. Started in 2017 by the Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPCC), the boot camp offers 10 weeks of comprehensive career development programming. Veterans currently in the boot camp will graduate from the program around Veterans Day.

The program uses job-seeking tools that cater to the individual needs of each of the participating veterans. For the sixth year in a row, the boot camp offered skills to veterans who felt stuck in their current job. These skills include improving interview skills and honing one’s resume. Each veteran is also connected with mentors, local businesses and leaders.

“We know these veterans acquired many skills during their service, but far too many have difficulty connecting to the right opportunity that matches their skill set,” said Andrea Biwer, executive director of Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “We help them make that connection – benefiting both veterans and employers in our community. Over the past several years, many incredible veterans were affected by the pandemic, and we were honored to help them take steps toward finding a new job or career.”

Around 100 Chicago-area veterans have been able to get civilian careers because of their hard work at the boot camp.

“It’s an amazing organization to work with and having taken part in the graduation ceremonies, you can see how much this means to the graduates,” said Chris Short, director of communications for PLNTF Holdings. “Our company is honored to participate in the program, and we plan to stay actively involved with the Veteran’s boot camp.”

Over the past three years, PLNTF Holdings has provided $7,500 to the Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce’s Back to Work Boot Camp. The franchise group started working with the organization after it held the grand opening for its second Des Plaines Planet Fitness^® in 2019.

Over the past five years, veterans who completed the intensive career development program were selected to get career-enhancing gifts. Some of these gifts include a laptop with Microsoft Office, gift certificates for professional clothing, a Seiko watch, career counseling, a one-year Planet Fitness membership and a car maintenance package.

In addition to a monetary donation to the organization, PLNTF Holdings’ Regional Training Manager Kelsey Sloter will lead three online workouts for the veterans this fall. With this program, veterans will be able to not only improve their job-hunting skills, but also improve their mental and physical strength.

Planet Fitness^® has partnered up with Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to give back, as PF^® has awarded over $250,000 in scholarships just this year. Since 2017, Planet Fitness has granted a total of $900,000 in scholarships to youth.

To show its appreciation for Planet Fitness’ generosity, members of the PLNTF Holdings South Alabama PF team were invited to attend the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama Youth of the Year luncheon. On June 23, the luncheon occurred at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel, a four-star hotel in the heart of Mobile, Alabama, and included a delicious meal for those in attendance. For 75 years the luncheon has occurred, but this year was the first in-person luncheon in two years since the pandemic.

The luncheon was held to honor and officially announce the winner of the South Alabama Youth of the Year Award. There were five finalists for the award. Six teens, including five regional winners and a national military youth winner, competed at a local, state and regional level for the title of National Youth of the Year. The winner serves as an ambassador for BGC youth and a voice for our nation’s young people. One corporate sponsor, SSAB, awarded cash prizes to the finalists.

In their speeches, each of the finalists shared the impact and inspiring relationships that the BGCA and staff have had on their lives. Brooklyn Rowell was the winner of the South Alabama Youth of the Year Award. She has been a Semmes Boys & Girls Club member since second grade. She says her involvement in the Boys & Girls Club activities has had a big impact on her life. In fact, Rowell’s involvement with the Boys & Girls Club’s “No Limits Girls’ Aviation” program motivated her to pursue an aviation career. She received a scholarship to attend the summer program at the Naval Flight Academy and will attend Liberty University after graduating high school in 2023.

For many years, PLNTF Holdings has teamed up with the local Boys & Girls Club of South Alabama, which has nine locations in the Mobile, Alabama, area. The franchise group has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club with sponsorships, donations and events. They were one of many companies that helped support the luncheon event and program. Sara Stroups, Carey Turner, Amy Obiol, Constance Barber, Aaliya Causey and Lydia Alawine were the PLNTF Holdings team members who attended.

Fitness is beneficial to one’s physical and mental health. After two years of the pandemic, people have been feeling stressed, burned out and depressed, making mental health more of a priority than ever. In August at the Black Women’s Expo (BWE), Planet Fitness^® Trainer Monique Davis led a breakout session on the importance of exercise to mental health. Davis is a veteran fitness trainer who works at several PLNTF Holdings locations, including Lincolnwood and Evanston, Illinois. Vanessa Lopez, another PLNTF trainer, also joined with her at the event.

The Black Women’s Expo, also known as BWe Next, took place Aug. 12-14 at McCormack Place in Chicago. The event typically draws 25,000-30,000 people. The Black Women’s Expo happens annually and includes three events held in Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit. This year’s event was the 28th year of BWe.

The BWe Next features topical seminars, general sessions, themed resource pavilions, corporate exhibitions and a small business exhibitor’s marketplace. During the breakout session with Davis and Lopez, the two led a discussion on health equality for black women, physical health and the connection to mental health.

“Planet Fitness is a Judgement Free Zone^® so what better way to show our inclusivity than to participate in the BWe,” said Davis, regarding her session. “We are passionate about supporting all our members and are honored to participate in the empowerment and physical health of black women.”

Planet Fitness also had an activation booth where team members handed out prizes. All attendees will receive a special BWe offer for a Planet Fitness membership.

“We are very excited to be a part of the BWe here in Chicago,” said Ed Bourelly, vice president of marketing for PLNTF. “This event has been held here for close to 30 years with 25,000-plus participants annually and has been integral to creating an uplifting and inspiring environment for black women. Planet Fitness is a perfect fit, as it gives us the opportunity to illustrate how we can enable and empower the community as partners on their wellness and fitness journey.”

Planet Fitness franchisees love giving back and even giving blood to a good cause. Taymax’s staff helped in the community by donating blood July 9. Lisa Garcia, the area director for Taymax in San Antonio, Texas, organized the blood drive to benefit victims from the Uvalde shooting, a terrible school shooting that impacted many victims and their families.

Garcia said the Uvalde shooting still haunts her to this day. She worries about dropping her fifth-grade son off at school. Not only that, but a Taymax team member was impacted directly by the shooting.

“We had a GM’s family affected by the Uvalde shooting. She was one of teachers, Elsa Avila, who was shot and hospitalized, and in the ICU for several weeks. I sent flowers to her from Taymax,” said Garcia.

About 20 team members gave blood. One blood donation can help three patients in need – meaning Taymax impacted the lives of 60 patients!

The blood donations were given to Hospital-South Texas Blood and Tissue Center service, over 100 hospitals and clinics in 48 counties. The donations will also go to cancer patients in San Antonio and an accident patient in the Hill Country.

This blood drive was the first one Taymax did as a group, although some Taymax team members have donated blood on their own before but never as a staff. Taymax plans on being a part of a blood drive again next year.