GYMTOPIA SERIES
Give back to move forward Ray Algar reports on charity-powered gym The Movement
R
ecently I was undertaking some online research and stumbled upon an American search result that grabbed my attention: ‘Charity-Driven Gyms Are Popping Up All Over The Country.’ Gyms
undertake random acts of charity all the time, but these new gyms are different in that they embed charity at the very heart of their business. So, this is the story of The Movement, a recently
opened boutique fitness studio in New York City, US, that operates according to the philosophy of ‘give back, move forward’ – enjoying the intrinsic joy and satisfaction of exercise while simultaneously helping others. It donates US$1 per person per class to The National Brain Tumour Society, not just for a few days, but every day of the year. It’s the first fitness business I’ve discovered that donates a portion of every single sale it makes.
Jordan and Dana Canino: Making a real difference
Gymtopia – a place where clubs do social good
Gymtopia was conceived by founder and chief engagement officer Ray Algar, who believes the global health and fitness industry has enormous influence and potential to do good in the world, beyond its immediate customers. The idea of Gymtopia is simple: to curate and spread remarkable stories in which the fitness industry uses its influence to reach out and support an external community in need. It was created with the generous support of five organisations: Companhia Athletica, Gantner Technologies, Les Mills, Retention Management and The Gym Group. Read more stories and submit your own:
www.Gymtopia.org
How the studio started Jordan and Dana Canino are lifelong athletes who envisioned a studio that would allow them to make a positive difference to the lives of others. However, their definition of ‘others’ is far wider than just the customers who attend the hybrid cardio, strength and yoga classes at the 297sq m (3,200sq ft) facility. They started with the question: How do we create a place where people are not only changing their own lives, but also the lives of others?
Deeply embedded charity When a business aligns itself with a charity, there should always be some compelling story that drives the partnership. Across the United States, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million non-profit organisations. Many would be worthy of our support – so how do we choose? Why did The Movement select The National Brain Tumour Society (NBTS) as its charity partner? According to the NBTS, 700,000 Americans are living with a
primary brain tumour and 69,000 more will be diagnosed this year – and in my research, I discovered that Andrea Canino, Jordan’s mother, had died of a brain tumour when he was just 18. This was therefore a deeply personal cause, giving purpose and meaning to The Movement. “Our hope is to start a true movement: the idea that, when
you give back, you’re enabling yourself to move forward. It motivates people not only to go to a class and get their sweat on, but also to help fight a terrible disease,” he says.
Impact to date IHRSA data suggests there are more than 30,500 gyms across the US, with boutique studios regularly popping up,
38 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital August 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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