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For the last five years, Black Duck Partners has strengthened the PF^® Judgement Free Zone^® by partnering with Goodwill’s Workforce Development Program and employing the individuals who come through the program.

Goodwill’s Workforce Development Program is designed to help prepare people with disabilities to enter competitive work fields and find employment. The program works hard to offer work experience and training, evaluations of work-related skills, vocational evaluations, job readiness skills, job placement and retention services. Through their “Spread the Word to End the Word” initiative, Goodwill is partnering with schools, organizations and communities to raise awareness on the distressing effect the r-word (retard/ed) has on individuals with disabilities. By spreading the word “respect,” the initiative seeks to end the use of the r-word and show employers and the rest of the world how hard-working and driven individuals with disabilities are and that community-based employment works.

“As part of the Judgement Free Generation^®, we have worked with Workforce Development Programs near all of our clubs over the last five years,” said Brice Scholz, marketing coordinator with Black Duck Partners, owned by Tim Lennon and Mike Dobrynio. “During this time, we have had hundreds of employees become part of our PF family. It is a true pleasure to be part of their growth and development while they learn the skills needed to be part of the workplace and develop the ability to have a tremendous impact on their community.”

In June 2017, Black Duck Partners’ Sioux City location hired Cari Davis through the Workforce Development Program. Davis is just one of the hundreds of individuals from the program who has made an impact in the workplace and has benefited greatly from the partnership Planet Fitness^® has with Goodwill. “We have these workforce development programs in just about all of our clubs and DMAs,” said Scholz. “This is a great initiative and best practice.”

Davis lights up the gym when she comes to work. “I have never had a negative day when she’s in here,” said Scott Scholl, fitness instructor at Sioux City Planet Fitness where Davis works, in a video interview. “She’s always smiling, always in a good mood that is infectious.” Davis touches the lives of the staff and members of Planet Fitness and is showing the community how much of an impact community-based employment can make.

Due to the great partnership Planet Fitness has with Goodwill, Brice Meyer, regional manager of the Omaha area, was invited to be a guest speaker for the “Spread the Word to End the Word” initiative and spoke on behalf of Planet Fitness. Meyer touched on how great the Goodwill Workforce Development Program has been for Planet Fitness and how it has affected the Judgement Free Zone.

“We wanted to share this with hopes that it will encourage other franchisees to get involved with these programs,” said Scholz. “We strongly believe they align perfectly with Planet Fitness and would be a great initiative alongside the pro-kindness movements!”

In early November, ECP-PF provided assistance to not one but two local Boys & Girls Clubs by rebuilding and revamping the locations’ workout areas into a Mini Judgement Free Zone^®.

For a combined total of 14 days, 25 Planet Fitness^® staff members cleaned out the old spaces in the Rochester and Albany, New York, Boys & Girls Clubs and made room for the new equipment. PF^® staff spent the two weeks repainting the walls, adding PF signage and rubber flooring and stocking the centers with new cardio and strength equipment.

“The kids were overjoyed that they now have their own judgement-free space,” said John Hrinda, division president with ECP-PF, which is owned by ECP-PF Holdings Group. “In the Albany Boys & Girls Club, we repurposed an old storage room to become their PF brand fitness room, and in the Rochester Boys & Girls Club, we rehabbed their old fitness room, which had all broken pieces of equipment, into an updated, bright and welcoming PF fitness area.”

The new fitness centers were completed with several cardio pieces, dumbbell racks and a Smith machine. Both fitness centers opened with a big celebration, which included attendance from local TV stations and press. PF trainers were also in attendance and worked out with each of the kids who came to join the celebration. Both clubs were also presented with a $1,000 check from ECP-PF.

“I was truly moved by the kid’s reaction to their new PF Judgement Free Zone,” said Hrinda. “They were so pleased that they were able to have their own place in the club to work toward their fitness goals.”

Last fall, Evolution Partners’ Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Planet Fitness^® location celebrated its10th anniversary.

“It’s extremely important as it speaks to the hard work and dedication put forth by all employees over the years,” said Jeff Powell, marketing manager with Evolution Partners, which is owned by Rick and Kristine Raimondo. “We are in a highly competitive market, and many gyms have tried to take our members, which has proven unsuccessful. It’s a testament to our commitment to brand loyalty and the raving fans we help create.”

Although the Cherry Hill club has successfully operated for 10 strong years, the journey was not without its share of obstacles. A remodel that recently took place proved to be one such challenge. Throughout the four-month remodel, the club stayed open to the public through inclement weather and partial closures, including locker rooms.

But, regardless of any challenges, Evolution Partners pulled through all while receiving positive feedback.

“We’re honored to serve as one of the longest tenured gyms in this highly competitive market of south Jersey,” said Powell. “Many fitness facilities have come and gone around us, but our Planet Fitness club continues to thrive. Having recently completed a million-dollar renovation, we remain committed to providing members with a state-of-the-art fitness facility and look forward to the next 10 years when we celebrate our 20th anniversary!”

This January, Tristan Enterprises, LLC helped raise 3,300 books for the local Samoset Middle School to donate to a variety of charities.

Samoset Middle School was one of two schools in the state of Massachusetts to be awarded the $1,500 MLK Day Impact School Grant with the objective to support and promote civic engagement.

With the grant, Samoset Middle School decided to hold a book drive and deliver the collection to MOC Head start, Project Apple, the Spanish American Center, Health Alliance Hospital, Medical associated pediatrics, Parent information center, Senior Citizens center, Family Medical and Maternity center, Crocker Elementary school, The Red Raiders lending library, the Student Activity Center and DCF.

“This is the first time that we have partnered up with Samoset Middle School,” said Brett Fronte, assistant manager with Tristan Enterprises, LLC’s Leominster, Massachusetts, Planet Fitness^®, owned by Shane Poirier.

Planet Fitness became involved with the book drive in 2014 through one of their members, Francine Meigs. Meigs is a teacher at Samoset Middle School and was instrumental in applying for the grant. “She’s an incredibly hard-working woman who cares a lot about her family, job, students and community,” said Fronte.

Planet Fitness succeeded in collecting around 500 books at their location. “It certainly caught the eye of a lot of our current members,” said Fronte. “We have a lot of members that are involved with schools, hospitals and other organizations that had benefited from the book deliveries.”

This past year, PFHQ held a nationwide contest to see which locations could sell the most memberships while raising money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. For the month of October, Sunshine Fitness Management’s Palm Bay, Florida, location was one of the top two sellers in their region, and PFHQ awarded the group $5,000 to donate to its local Boys & Girls Clubs.

Together, all participating clubs raised over $1 million dollars for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which helped to support the Judgement Free Generation^® program. Since launching the initiative in 2016, Planet Fitness^® has contributed nearly $3 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and has awarded $50,000 in scholarships to eligible youth.

“This donation from our esteemed partner, Planet Fitness, allows us to continue to enhance and promote our culture of good character and citizenship, as well as healthy lifestyles,” said Nic Freeman, volunteer resources manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida in an interview with the Palm Bay Daily.

On Jan. 17, Sunshine Fitness Management’s Palm Bay, Florida, Planet Fitness presented the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida with a $5,000 check as well as equipment, giveaways and even a pizza party. Four Planet Fitness employees – Sunshine Fitness Management’s Marketing Manager Anthony Roberts Jr., two regional managers Tim Caylor and Jason Lucas; and the Palm Bay, Florida, club manager, Nick Atkins – went to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida and took with them pizza, Capri Suns and cupcakes.

“It was an honor helping out the Boys & Girls Clubs,” said Caylor. “It’s the greatest feeling seeing the kids’ eyes light up when we were donating equipment to them. It was also great that the kids felt comfortable enough with us that they even performed a song that they wrote. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be able to help out the Boys & Girls Clubs, and it creates a special feeling inside that I can’t explain.”

In addition to the pizza party, Sunshine Fitness Management donated a foosball table, a basketball goal, kickballs, basketballs, footballs, four square balls, volleyballs, two equipment bags and scoreboards.

“We are putting to great use all the equipment that was donated to us. In regard to the $5,000 dollars – we have great plans for it! For the past 2-3 weeks we have been doing research on different field trips and activities that we can participate in,” said Angel Montilla, service director for the Boys & Girls Club of Temple Terrace. “Since the majority of our members don’t have the funds necessary to be able to go on field trips during the summer, we are working to use some of the money to help us get the kids to field trips with the hopes of having them or their parents not have to pay for it. We are looking at going to the bowling alley, Zoo, Aquatica, Escape the Room for the teens, Andretti’s, Fun Town, Kennedy Space Center and, hopefully, make either Universal or Fun Spot possible.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida hopes to make this coming summer the best one yet. With the equipment Sunshine Fitness Management donated, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida now have more options for outside activities and can host foosball tournaments for the youth.

“Our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs has been a fulfilling way to reach out to the youth across the country,” said Roberts Jr. in an interview with the Palm Bay Daily. “Instilling anti-bullying principles and attitudes of inclusiveness in the future men and women of our country is a passion Planet Fitness continues to stand behind.”