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PF Growth Partners Teams Up With Sox in the Box Program

Planet Fitness Growth Partners has teamed up with 8-year-old Miracle Omar to help with her Sox in the Box program. The program aims to collect new pairs of socks and distribute them to homeless or needy individuals throughout the Washington, D.C., area.

The Ivy City PF® location in Washington, D.C., along with clubs in Landover and Greenbelt, Maryland, agreed to feature collection boxes where members and staff could donate pairs of socks.

“Miracle initially came into the Landover Planet Fitness® and spoke with our management team about partnering with her on her journey to give back,” said regional manager Justin Drummond. “She mentioned that she and her two friends often try to give to the homeless. It all started with handing out toiletries in a park that is known for having a high population of homeless people in Washington, D.C.”

Sox in the Box collected over 700 pairs of socks to hand out to homeless or needy individuals.

Sox in the Box collected over 700 pairs of socks to hand out to homeless or needy individuals.

This is the first time that Planet Fitness Growth Partners has partnered with Omar, but the Sox in the Box program was able to collect over 700 pairs of socks, with the Ivy City club being the largest contributor. Omar has two additional boxes set up outside of Planet Fitness – one in a local salon and one in her elementary school.

“The members loved the idea of what this donation program represented,” said Drummond. “Our Ivy City location actually has a homeless shelter around the corner from the club. The members really got behind the cause.”

Drummond also noted that, while employees did participate in the program, roughly 95 percent of donations came from members.

Omar and two of her friends distributed the socks at Franklin Square Park on Nov. 12. The outcome was overwhelmingly positive, and Omar hopes to make Sox in the Box an annual program.

“When speaking to the management teams who participated in this community outreach, all said this was a no-brainer. To see an 8-year-old girl and her friends so committed to making a difference in strangers’ lives was priceless,” said Drummond. “We had to hop on board and support our community. On a monthly basis, our clubs participate in various community outreach programs. This is our way of not only giving back to the community, but showing that we are also a part of the community.”

in Uncategorized  by 03 Jan 2017

Anchor Management Group Opens Doors to Those in Need in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

When tragedy struck in late September and early October in the form of a catastrophic hurricane, Planet Fitness® was there to help restore a little normalcy to the lives of community residents.

Hurricane Matthew blew over Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the southeastern United States, claiming over 1,600 lives. Even more were left with damaged homes and no power.

Ten Planet Fitness clubs located throughout Georgia and South Carolina opened their facilities to the victims of Hurricane Matthew. Members and non-members alike were able to drop in for a hot shower and to use the locker room amenities which were available for up to two weeks after the storm.

“Once the storm hit and passed, we had already made the decision to open up our doors to anyone in need once we were available to do so,” said Joe Pilotte, operations manager for Anchor Management Group, which owns the 10 locations. “That was the easy choice as there were so many people without power and displaced from their homes for long periods of time.”

The Charleston Police Department used Anchor Management’s Citadel Mall Planet Fitness location as the base of operations during Hurricane Matthew.

The Charleston Police Department used Anchor Management’s Citadel Mall Planet Fitness location as the base of operations during Hurricane Matthew.

Throughout the course of the storm, the 10 Planet Fitness locations in the affected area ended up closing their clubs at various times due to evacuation orders and for the safety of members and employees. Anchor Management also helped by making Airbnb arrangements for staff members if needed.

“It was a stressful time coordinating everything in such a fluid situation,” said Pilotte. “It was a long week prior to the storm even impacting the area. Our operations team had to monitor the storm 24/7 as the path was constantly updating and changing.”

In order for everything to run as smoothly as possible in the midst of chaos, the operations team developed a pre-storm closing checklist for each club prior to closing for evacuations. Employees shut down breakers and unplugged equipment in order to prevent damage from power surges. There was also a re-opening checklist to ensure that each club was safe and could re-open as soon as possible.

As soon as the locations were open, they began making their facilities available to those in need. Pilotte estimates that an average of 20 families per location took advantage of the locker rooms and hot showers.

Anchor Management was able to keep members updated on closures and re-openings via its Constant Contact marketing system and also maintained text messaging threads for each market so that staff members could communicate amongst themselves.

Pilotte notes that the various clubs had a few electrical items damaged and a few roof leaks, but overall the clubs escaped any real catastrophe.

“We were lucky to be able to open up as quickly as we were following the storm after seeing the damage it caused throughout the South,” said Pilotte. “We received some great feedback from the community members who came in. They felt we gave them a bit of an uplift following a very stressful event. Many were without power for days so they were more than happy being able to go to work feeling clean and energized. The small amount of normalcy we were able to give went a long way.”

in Uncategorized  by 03 Jan 2017

Aiken Fit Sponsors, Participates in 37th Annual Whiskey Road Race in South Carolina

On Nov. 12, roughly 15 members, employees and their spouses from Aiken Fit, LLC’s Planet Fitness® location joined together to participate in the Cumbee Center Whiskey Road Race. The race, which is in its 37th year, benefits the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons and includes a 2-mile, 5K and 10K race.

In addition to the team of 15 runners and walkers, Planet Fitness was also a formal sponsor of the event. PF® had six water stations set up in addition to providing 300 Planet Fitness-branded bottles of water. Participants also received a goody bag, which included a coupon for a free PF enrollment.

This was the first year Aiken Fit had sponsored the Whiskey Road Race, and participation was largely fueled by PE@PF trainer Nikki Baxley. Baxley worked as an assistant manager for the location before obtaining her training certificate, which she has had for a little over six months. Baxley started out with zero regular students for her PE@PF classes, but that number quickly grew to over 25 members who sign up on a weekly basis.

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Members and employees of the Aiken, South Carolina, Planet Fitness location gathered to participate in the 37th annual Whiskey Road Race that benefits victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Baxley created such camaraderie within the group that several regulars have formed a group called the “Gym Sistas.” These ladies work out with Baxley weekly and have started a monthly Healthy Eating Friday where they each bring in a healthy dish and recipe to share with the group.

“The Gym Sista’s also try to push one another outside the club, and that’s how Planet Fitness got involved with the Whiskey Road Race,” said manager Daniel Keigans. “Everyone that took part in the race had a blast and could not wait to sign up for another event.”

Staff members created an in-club white board advertising the race, and anyone who was a PF member that signed up for the race got a free Planet Fitness Choose Kindness T-shirt.

“We’re proud of our staff who, under their own initiative, gave their time and effort to support this worthwhile cause both as volunteers and participants,” said franchisee David Rondinone. “Proceeds from the race went to the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons, a benefit which stands for everything Planet Fitness believes in.”

 

in Uncategorized  by 27 Dec 2016

Anchor Management Group Opens New Savannah, Georgia, PF Location

On Oct. 26, approximately 200 people came out to a Savannah, Georgia, Planet Fitness® to celebrate the club’s grand opening. The new location, owned by Anchor Management Group, hosted a Halloween luau, which included live music, hula dancers, food vendors and prizes. Prizes included two one-year memberships, camping chairs, gym bags, tote bags and items donated from the vendors at the event.

Roughly 200 people came out for the grand opening of Anchor Management Group’s newest location in Savannah, Georgia. Festivities included live music, hula dancers, food vendors and prizes.

“I think the event really showcased what Planet Fitness is all about,” said Operations Manager Joseph Pilotte. “We are a fun, energizing, community-based product that allows people to change their lives, relax and, of course, burn some calories while reaching their goals.”

Prior to the grand opening, the club had 848 presale memberships with 95.5 percent being Black Card Members. Within a week of being open, the club had bumped its membership total up to 2,759.

“This grand opening for us was an amazing experience. We outsourced the event to a local event planner who was well connected within the community and it showed,” added Pilotte. “We believe the event created a buzz surrounding PF throughout the local business community, and it was very well received by our members who were coming in.”

Pilotte notes that there was a lot of participation with Halloween costumes, and some of the crowd favorites included King Tut, a Cubs fan and a pirate. The event promotion also encouraged attendees to bring non-perishable food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank, and approximately 100 pounds of food was donated.

 

 

in Uncategorized  by 10 Nov 2016

Orlando Sentinel Names Planet Fitness Best Fitness Facility During 2016 Competition

For Orlando residents, there are many places to choose from if you want to better your body. The affordable price and friendly environment, however, has landed Planet Fitness® at the top of the list.

This year, Planet Fitness reigned as the Best Fitness Facility, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets competition.

“It’s an honor to be named the best fitness facility within the Orlando area. The recognition means a lot to us, especially because nominations and voting for this award were made by readers in the community,” said Eric Dore, franchisee with Sunshine Fitness Management. “As a result, this relays to our entire team that central Florida residents are pleased with Planet Fitness, and it motivates us to continue to improve and evolve in an effort to provide raving fans service to the community.”

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Planet Fitness has been named the 2016 Best Fitness Facility, according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Best Bets competition.

The competition, which is in its 10th year, publishes readers’ favorite picks for local businesses in categories such as dining and restaurants, shopping, home and services, wellness and personal style, and recreation and entertainment.

Other finalist in this year’s competition for Best Fitness Center were LA Fitness and 24 Hour Fitness.

Dore said being the best doesn’t come easily. “Within six months of us moving into the central Florida market, LA Fitness and Lifestyles Family Fitness joined us as we all battled for market share. Lifestyles was eventually taken over by LA, and shortly following that, 24 Hour Fitness and Youfit began entering the market,” said Dore. “Recently, we have seen the likes of Retro Fitness and a 24 Hour Fitness expansion plan shaking up the market even more, but Planet Fitness has prevailed by remaining true to our brand and to our members.”

Dore believes it is the inclusive environment that truly sets Planet Fitness apart from other locations, but it certainly isn’t the only factor affecting the success of Sunshine Fitness Management’s locations.

“We have tremendous resources at our fingertips in the franchise system, a great team that works hard every day to help improve the quality of people’s lives, members that are like family and a revolutionary business model, all of which we feel play a major role in us being named the best fitness center,” said Dore. “Our members trust our brand and us to provide a safe, clean atmosphere for them to focus on their personal fitness goals.”

bestbet1“Our team is very proud of this award. It is a direct reflection of the exceptional and consistent performance by our team to run excellent clubs and stay true to the Judgement Free Zone® concept,” added Shane McGuiness, partner at Sunshine Fitness Management. “It is even more gratifying to be recognized by our members as the Best Bet amid competitors such as LA Fitness, Retro Fitness and Youfit. We need to continue to solidify our brand as the best choice for our communities, and this is a nice indication that we are accomplishing that objective.”

Sunshine Fitness Management currently owns and operates 28 clubs in three states, with hopes of opening two more before the end of the year.

 

in Uncategorized  by 10 Nov 2016