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The cost of cooking a Thanksgiving meal can add up quickly. The Flynn Group, formerly known as Alder Partners, helped lessen the financial burden for its members by hosting its fifth annual Turkey Giveaway.

On Nov. 21, the event was held at Flynn Group’s West End Planet Fitness^® location in Atlanta, Georgia. All residents were invited to visit the club to get a free turkey. The MAJIC 107.5/97.5 local radio station team played music to keep people entertained while they waited to receive their Thanksgiving meal essential.

The next day, the franchise group continued its Thanksgiving generosity, as it held a turkey giveaway at its Wesley Chapel club in Decatur, Georgia. This was the first time the franchise group has held such an event at this location. The weather was rainy, but this did not stop people from showing up for the free giveaway.

The clubs’ team members, along with Colli Hawk, the mascot of the College Park Skyhawks, handed out complimentary birds to the community. A total of 500 frozen turkeys were distributed between both days, allowing for hundreds of families to be well-fed on Thanksgiving Day.

“This was our fifth year providing turkeys to the community at our West End location, and we ran out of turkeys in under 30 minutes. Some community members lined up hours before to make sure they can claim their free turkey, which can help eliminate some of the expenses they may endure during the holidays, so knowing that we contributed to making that possible for our community is a great feeling,” said Derrick Jones, regional manager at Flynn Group’s West End location in Atlanta.

The Flynn Group kicked off the holiday season by hosting a toy drive that supported the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program. The toy drive was held in nine Massachusetts locations and 28 Georgia clubs. The toy drive began Nov. 6 and ran through Dec. 5 in Massachusetts and Dec. 12 in Georgia. There were over 500 toys donated in each market. The toys donated included bikes, basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, board games, dolls, cars, stuffed animals, books and art supplies. There was something for every child’s interest!

This was the group’s third year participating in the program in its Massachusetts clubs and the first year participating in its Georgia clubs. Again, the program was a success and allowed many less fortunate children to have a brighter holiday. The members at the Massachusetts clubs were looking forward to the toy drive.

“Our members have gotten accustomed to this toy drive, so as we were approaching this holiday season they began to ask, ‘When will those toy bins be set up?’ The support of our members is overwhelming. We are very thankful for their generosity which makes our toy drive so successful,” said Mike Leonard, manager of Flynn Group’s Dorchester, Massachusetts, club.

Getting out into the community is a perfect way to market a new club opening. To tell more people about Flynn Group’s new Planet Fitness^® club opening, the franchise participated in a holiday parade held in Loganville, Georgia.

The City of Loganville’s Christmas Parade on Nov. 25 featured six of the group’s team members, who handed out candy canes and postcards, which promoted the new club opening and included details about the special pre-opening pricing. Hundreds of people were gathered along the full parade route.

The group’s Planet Fitness Loganville location opened Dec. 15, featuring a fully equipped Black Card Spa with massage chairs, tanning beds and booths, a Recovery Lounge, Wellness Pod and Total Body Enhancement. Thanks to Flynn Group’s involvement in the community, the Loganville club already has over 3,000 members.

“We love being able to participate in community events, especially when we are opening a new location. These grassroot events allow us the opportunity to connect with locals while bringing brand awareness to an area where we may not be well known,” said Regional Director of Operations with Flynn Group Emily Hastings.

The holiday season is a time for celebration and spending time with friends and family, but it can also be a time of financial stress for many families. To ease the financial burden the holidays can cause, Easy Mile Fitness held a holiday drive in all its clubs, including 24 clubs in the United States and Canada and 17 clubs in Puerto Rico. The donated gifts included footballs, basketballs, toy cars, dolls, bikes, clothing, headphones, toy babies, toddler toys, educational toys, puzzles, action figures and board games. Additionally, one of Easy Mile Fitness’s employees gave a cash donation, which allowed the franchise to bring toys and presents to older kids, as most of the donated toys are geared toward younger kids.

The toy drive was a huge success as there were 1,100 gifts between Easy Mile Fitness’ clubs in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. The toys were donated to the local Boys and Girls Clubs in the respective markets. In addition, the baby and toddler gifts collected in the Puerto Rico clubs were donated to the local Head Start.

“It is one of the most anticipated club activities of the year. I enjoy all stages, from the atmosphere of generosity and empathy that our members show when bringing the toys to the day of the toy distribution, where we make each child feel recognized and appreciated,” said Lourdes Hernández, field operation manager at Easy Mile Fitness.

Easy Mile Fitness has held toy drives in its clubs for years, repeatedly spreading holiday cheer. The group’s U.S. clubs have been donating since 2017, while the Puerto Rico clubs have had a toy drive since 2019 and the Canada clubs have held a toy drive each year since 2022.

“The toy drive represents a magical way to build a bridge between Planet Fitness^® and the children of our most needed communities. Our members and employees have the power to impact the community of which they are a part without realizing it,” said Human Resources Manager at Easy Mile Fitness Amanda Cintrón.

Bullying is unfortunately something many children face, but Planet Fitness^® franchisees continually look for ways to promote a judgement-free world for younger generations. In January, the Detroit co-op (EPIC Fitness and Impact Fitness) partnered with the Detroit Red Wings ice hockey team for an anti-bullying contest titled “Shut Out Bullying.”

“As partners in the ‘Shut Out Bullying’ initiative, we are dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive school environments,” said Chris Coffman, senior vice president of corporate partnerships at Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “Together, we strive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of students, contributing to a culture where everyone feels valued.”

During the contest, educational institutions in the Detroit area were able to compete for $10,000 in funding for bullying prevention programing. To be considered, the educational institutions had to answer a series of questions about their organization and how they would use the prize money to prevent bullying. Representatives had to live in Michigan, be at least 18 years or older, and be employed full- or part-time at a school for K-12^th-graders. The contest went live on Dec. 31 with entries accepted through Jan. 26, and the winner was announced on Jan. 31. Representatives from the winning educational institution received their prize at a ceremony prior to the Red Wings vs. Vancouver Cancuks game on Feb. 10 at Little Caesars Arena.

“We are thrilled to join forces with the Detroit Red Wings to heighten awareness about an important topic that needs more attention – bullying,” said Bryan Rief, CEO of EPIC Fitness Group. “By contributing additional funds to a local school or organization, we can also learn new and creative ways to educate kids that will have lasting impact.”