California Fires Affect Club Industry
By: By Pamela Kufahl, editor
SAN DIEGO, CA—The fires raging in several Southern California counties has caused closures of some clubs, mostly due to poor air quality or the threat of fire....
Life Time Revenue Up Almost 26 Percent
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN -- Third quarter 2007 revenue for Life Time Fitness Inc. grew 25.8 percent to $169.5 million from $134.7 million during the same period last year, according to the company’s third quarter filing. ...
Cuts Closes Franchise Business
By: By Kelsey Garrison
CLARK, NJ -- Cuts Fitness bought out the franchise agreements of each of its franchisees and closed its franchise business in June, according to Steven Haase, managing director of Cuts Fitness. Former franchisees continue to operate under the Cuts Fitness name, but they cannot open new clubs under that name. Haase says he and the other founding members of the company maintain the franchise as a corporate business. ...
Camp Pendleton Fitness Centers Remain Open for Wildfire Evacuees
CAMP PENDLETON, CA -- Fitness centers at Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton will remain open and serve as evacuation centers for military members and their families that are affected by the wildfires spreading across southern California. ...
Navy Commands Drop 612 Pounds During Challenge
NORFOLK, VA -- More than 150 sailors and Department of Navy employees participated in a joint weight-loss challenge from Aug. 10 to Oct. 10 between Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) Norfolk and Naval Network Warfare Command (NEWARCOM). The commands went beyond their initial goal of 500 pounds, losing a combined total of 612 pounds.
NETWARCOM won the challenge, losing 352 pounds. NCDOC lost 260 pounds.
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YMCA Activates Americans to Take 8 Billion Steps
WASHINGTON, DC -- More than 1,500 YMCAs participated in the YMCA of the USA’s America On the Move Week with the YMCA, Sept. 22-29. Ys across the country motivated 1.3 million people to take 8 billion steps during the week. The campaign, in partnership with the America On the Move Foundation, aims to educate and motivate people to make two small daily changes: add 2,000 steps and eat 100 fewer calories. ...
Keynotes Draw Crowds at Club Industry 2007
CHICAGO -- More than 500 attendees filled the room on Oct. 11 for the presentation of Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro's Lifetime Achievement Award to Alan G. Schwartz, chairman of the board of TCA Holdings, and the keynote address given by Laila Ali, world boxing champion and daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali....
Snap Fitness Ranked No. 1 on New Franchises List
CHANHASSEN, MN -- Franchise Market Magazine ranked Snap Fitness No. 1 on its annual list of the top 100 new franchises in the United States in its fall 2007 issue. ...
The Alaska Club Sold to Private Equity Firm
NEW YORK – Lincolnshire Management Inc., a New York-based private equity firm, has purchased The Alaska Club, which has 17 fitness centers in the state of Alaska....
Denver, Colorado Top Health Club Lists
SAN DIEGO – Denver and the state of Colorado have the highest percentage of people who belong to a health club, according to the 2007 Health Club Industry Review produced by The Active Marketing Group....
More Than Half of Georgia Children Out of Shape
ATLANTA – A survey of 5,000 fifth- and seventh-graders in the state of Georgia revealed that more than half of them failed to pass a fitness test, according to a study by the Georgia Youth Fitness Assessment....
Locker Thief at YWCA Uses Borrowed Hammer
WHITE PLAINS, NY -- A 34-year-old man allegedly borrowed a hammer from a lifeguard at the YWCA of White Plains, NY, and used it to break into three of the YW’s lockers, taking cash and personal items on Sept. 11, according to The Journal News (NY). ...
Army Wellness and Education Program to Expand
CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA -- The Army Wellness and Education Program is set to expand, according to Army officials. The expansion will better prepare individual leaders to manage their personal readiness and influence the health and fitness of those they lead. ...
Club Industry 2007 Opens
The weather outside in Chicago might have been a little nippy for some Club Industry 2007 conference attendees, but that didn't keep attendees away from the first day's seminars and events....
Fee to Increase Dramatically at University of Iowa
IOWA CITY, IA – With construction of a new $69.2 million campus recreation and wellness center set to begin Oct. 19 at the University of Iowa, the school’s student activity fee will jump from $4 annually to $219 for the fall 2009 semester....
Runner Dies During Army Ten-Miler Race
WASHINGTON, DC -- A civilian runner died Sunday during the Army Ten-Miler 10-mile race. According to media reports, the unidentified runner was about 200 yards from the finish line at the Pentagon. When the race began, it was unseasonably warm at about 70 degrees with high humidity....
New North Georgia YMCA Denied Tax-Exempt Status
FORT OGLETHORPE, GA -- The North Georgia YMCA in Fort Oglethorpe, GA, will have to pay property taxes on the 4.5 acres slated for its new facility, according to The Catoosa County (GA) News. ...
Six People Indicted on Credit Card Theft
BOSTON – Another story involving locker room theft has hit the health club world, and this one affects several members in numerous states. On Tuesday, six people were indicted for allegedly stealing more than 350 credit cards from men’s locker rooms at Bally Total Fitness clubs. The defendants allegedly used the cards to get more than $350,000 in cash advances at several horse race tracks around the country, according to a report by The Associated Press....
Giardina to Leave TSI
NEW YORK -- Robert Giardina, CEO of Town Sports International (TSI), is resigning from that role effective Oct. 31. Alexander Alimanestianu, the company’s current president, will become CEO at that time, the company announced today. Giardina, who has been with the company for 26 years, is resigning for personal and health reasons, although no specifics were given about Giardina’s health issues. ...
New Army Training Center Helps Disabled Vets
WASHINGTON, DC -- To help enhance amputee and patient care of disabled and injured veterans, Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) recently opened the Military Advanced Training Center (MATC). The 31,000-square-foot facility includes numerous advanced physical therapy and fitness-related features. ...
Bally Emerges From Bankruptcy
CHICAGO – Bally Total Fitness, Chicago, the second-highest revenue-producing health club company in the United States, has emerged from bankruptcy, the company announced Monday....
More Thefts Reported at Life Time
By: By Stuart Goldman
PLANO, TX – Four Life Time Fitness members had their Rolex watches stolen from inside the locker room at Life Time Fitness centers in Plano and Allen, Texas, bringing the number of reported thefts at Dallas-area Life Time centers to nine over the past two months....
The Alaska Club in Pending Sale
ANCHORAGE, AK – The Alaska Club, which has 17 clubs in Alaska, is up for sale, according to a report by Anchorage, AK, TV station KTUU....
Yao Ming Appears at Club Opening in China
SAN RAMON, CA – All-Star basketball player Yao Ming was on hand at the grand opening of his first signature health club, California Fitness–Yao Ming Sports Club, on Sept. 15 in Beijing, China. The 40,000-square-foot club is the first 24 Hour Fitness club in China. California Fitness is a wholly owned unit of 24 Hour Fitness....
Arizona Y Fires Employees Over Unattended Toddler
GOODYEAR, AZ -- Several Southwest Valley Regional YMCA child care employees were fired after a 1-year-old boy was left unattended in the Y’s child care center. The boy’s mother found her son soaked in what she believes was toilet water, according to a report by Phoenix TV station KPHO. ...
