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BALTIMORE -- Leroy M. Merritt, chairman and founder of
Baltimore-based Merritt Athletic Clubs and Merritt Properties, has died.
He was 79.
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SCHILLER PARK, IL -- Sales in fourth quarter 2009 were down
15 percent for the Life Fitness Division of Brunswick Corp., according
to financials released by the company last week.
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Trustmark Mutual Holding Co. will acquire
Health Fitness Corp. for approximately $97 million.
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HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, FL -- Military spouse Zakiyya
Brodie got more than she bargained for when she went to work out at the
Homestead Air Reserve Base gym. The base’s fitness facility was full
of evacuees from Haiti seeking refuge after the devastating Jan. 12
earthquake.
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CHARLOTTE, NC -- The Better Business Bureau in Charlotte, NC,
listed troubled Peak Fitness on its 2009 “Dirty Dozen” list of
worst-rated businesses in the Southern Piedmont area of North Carolina
and South Carolina.
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BILLINGS, MT -- Family-friendly changing rooms are becoming
more popular as health club members demand more privacy, but in a down
economy, many clubs have not had the resources for locker room
renovations.
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JONESBORO, AR -- The new recreation and wellness center at
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, was more than 10 years in the
making, but the facility was officially dedicated last month and opened
for students.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Two health club companies in California
recently began offering nutritional programs to help members make
healthier lifestyle choices.
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Don’t miss out on the Club
Industry East show this May in New York, featuring keynote
presentations from former New York Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent and Ali
Vincent, winner of “The Biggest Loser.” For more details, visit the
show
site or view the pre-show
brochure (PDF).
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The New
York Sports Club in New Rochelle, NY, is closed for repairs after
powerful wind gusts from last Monday’s storm damaged the club’s
roof, according to LoHud.com. There
were no projectiles and no roof collapse, but there was water damage in
the pool and locker room areas, and the club was evacuated as a
precaution. Repairs and inspections could take weeks, but the local
deputy building commissioner said he hopes to have the club reopened in
the next few days.
Residents in Hamburg, NY, are fighting to keep the town’s fitness
center open. Hamburg Town Board members agreed to meet with the
club’s members after announcing that the center will close by April 1.
Dozens of the club’s 334 members packed the board chambers last week
to voice their displeasure. According to The Buffalo News, the
board says the center costs a total of $192,000 to operate and produces
$27,000 in revenue, meaning the town is paying $400 per person to
subsidize memberships.
The Maryland Athletic Club and
Wellness Center, Baltimore, announced a partnership with the
Baltimore chapter of Back on My
Feet to provide access at the MAC’s Harbor East facility on days
when the weather is too inclement for the organization’s members to be
outside. Back on My Feet is a nonprofit organization that promotes the
self-sufficiency of the homeless population by engaging them in running
as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.
The Penobscot Bay YMCA,
Rockport, ME, is hosting a special event on Feb. 6 to benefit the
victims of the Haiti earthquake. Proceeds of the event’s $25
registration fee will be donated to the Port-au-Prince YMCA to help its
members recover. Participants can choose from a half-mile swim, 5K
indoor walk/run, a one-hour cycle class or one hour of children’s
activities. All the events will conclude with a one hour Zumba
class.
The National Swimming Pool
Foundation, Colorado Springs, CO, released an online course on
Aquatic Risk Management (ARM) on Jan. 31. The training course is
designed to help aquatics managers and operators protect customers and
staff and to reduce risk and liability. The course takes about two
hours, costs $50 per student and includes a copy of the ARM Handbook as
a reference. Students can register online at www.eProAcademy.org or by calling
719-540-9119.
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Life Fitness,
Schiller Park, IL, received a 2009 Body LIFE Award for its
cardiovascular machines. The company has received the award for nine
consecutive years since the contest began in 2000. Life Fitness was
chosen for the award by 500 randomly selected European gym and fitness
club owners who completed a questionnaire and were interviewed. The
survey measured customer satisfaction and publicity in seven award
categories: cardio, strength, indoor cycling, solarium, software,
education and consulting.
Cybex International Inc.,
Medway, MA, named Larry Gulko as its chief marketing officer. In this
role, Gulko will provide leadership and strategic direction to
strengthen the company’s market position, drive growth and maximize
the value of the Cybex brand. He previously worked with brands such as
Johnson & Johnson, Reebok, Gillette, PGA of America, Kodak, Siemens, and
the LPGA, among others. Gulko also served as president and on the board
of the American Marketing Association, Boston.
Advantage Fitness Products,
Chico, CA, recently completed its work on the California State
University, Chico Wildcat Recreation
Center, including the facility’s design, layout and equipment
supply. The company also will supply ongoing maintenance. “AFP was a
part of the Chico State project from the beginning,” Curtis
Sicheneder, assistant director of facilities and operations for the
Wildcat Recreation Center, said in a statement. “Being involved so
early helped us with budgeting, electrical layout and our cardio theater
decision-making. We continue to work with AFP with many of our group ex
needs and look forward to working with AFP in the future as we turn over
equipment.”
The World Instructor
Training Schools (W.I.T.S.) will hold a town hall meeting at the
IDEA Personal Trainer Institute on Feb. 27 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark
Center in Alexandria, VA. Industry leaders will discuss pending state
legislation involving personal trainers as well as the debate over the
continuing education unit (CEU) and the issue of a one provider
solution. For more information, contact Jay Del Vecchio at jdelvec@witseducation.com.
Bally Total Fitness,
Chicago, has an agreement with All Day Energy in which the club
chain now carries the energy drink in its top 200 locations. All Day
Energy includes three energy-producing amino acids: carnitine, arginine
and ribose. The drink also has no calories, sugar or sodium.
Power Systems Inc.,
Knoxville, TN, will donate $2 from every order it receives over the next
few weeks to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development fund.
In addition to the corporate donation, employees at Power Systems made
additional contributions directly to the American Red Cross. The company
also will donate about 200 exercise mats for bedding use in orphanages
and shelters.
Concept2, manufacturer of the
Concept2 Indoor Rower and new SkiErg, has released a Facebook
application designed to help friends track and share rowing or Nordic
skiing workouts. To use the application, the user must have an account
on both Facebook and the Concept2 Online Logbook. Log on to concept2.com/facebook and
follow the instructions.
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Since I’m new to this blog and blogging in general, I’d
like to introduce myself and our staff to you. We’re the folks that
produce the Club Industry trade shows twice a year. Our partners at
Club Industry magazine have been gracious enough to share this
blog space with us so we can bring you behind-the-scenes information on
our upcoming shows.
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This article, “When Chocolate and Chakras Collide,” in
The New York Times about the Exhale Spa’s Yoga for Foodies
class spawned some interesting comments.
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Add this American Profile article to the many Jack
LaLanne features we’ve seen over the last several weeks.
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