Planet Fitness® facilities throughout upstate New York teamed up with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program to lift the spirits of those in need on Christmas morning. In 2015, 17 clubs owned by Joanis Entities and Planet Fitness of CNY Inc. participated in the program and donated over 3,300 gifts.
“This holiday season, we decided to take it one step further,” said Alicia Carrier, vice president of operations for Joanis Entities. “Not only did we start planning in September, I am pleased to say that all 36 Planet Fitness facilities in upstate New York teamed up to make a difference.”
This year, the 36 regional locations participated with a goal of donating 10,000 presents to those in need.
In 2015, 17 clubs owned by Joanis Entities and Planet Fitness of CNY Inc. participated in the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program and donated over 3,300 gifts.
To participate in the Angel Tree program, each PF® location provides a Christmas tree and a large box to collect donations. A representative from the Salvation Army then comes by and places tags on the tree. Each tag includes the first name of someone in need, their age and their gender. Members are encouraged to take a tag, purchase a present and return the gift, along with the tag, unwrapped and place it in the donation bin.
“The promotion proved to be successful early on,” said Carrier. “It was underway from Nov. 9 to Dec. 12. Before the halfway point, I heard that more than half the tags had already been pulled in various locations.”
The Salvation Army representatives made periodic stops to collect the gifts and distribute them to those in need. The organization also provided an individual banner for each location to hang in its club. All donations were kept local and were distributed to the person named on the tag.
“The feedback from our members was remarkable, and the generosity and excitement in our facilities was amazing,” added Carrier. “Our hope this season was to make it to 10,000 donations and really create a monumental impact for those in need.”
On Dec. 3, the Oneida, New York, Planet Fitness location also participated in the Salvation Army’s kettle bell promotion where employees rang the bell in their PF attire.
Carrier hopes to implement the kettle bell promotion next holiday season at the remainder of Joanis Entities’ clubs.