Businesses neighboring a fitness facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, were able to raise thousands of dollars after the ceiling collapsed at the facility, prompting it to close for safety and repairs.
The Community Gym had to close last week unexpectedly when part of its ceiling collapsed between fitness classes, the Winnipeg Free Press reported Tuesday.
No one was inside when the collapse happened. Community Gym founder Amie Seier said she was unsure of when it will reopen.
The Community Gym and neighboring business Parlour Coffee share a main floor at 468 Main St. The building is 122 years old and is inspected regularly, the Free Press reported.
Parlour Coffee’s facility was not affected by the ceiling collapse, but owner Connor Vogt told the newspaper he felt like he had to step in to help his neighbor.
“It’s sort of, I feel, a responsibility for the owners in the area to help take care of each other when things go sideways,” Vogt said. “Especially something as unexpected as this.”
Parlour Coffee launched a GoFundMe for The Community Gym on Sunday. As of Monday afternoon, the pot had surpassed $8,500. The fundraiser has a $10,000 goal.
“It’s really overwhelming and wonderful,” Seier said of the support, the Free Press reported.
Vogt said people really like the gym; they become friends there and it’s a gathering place amid the exercise and music.
“They put a lot of their heart and soul into the place,” Vogt said. “It goes to show how important (the gym) is,. [It has] created a sense of camaraderie among the people that go there.”
More than 200 people have attended the gym daily over the past year, Seier said.
“It’s just a really special atmosphere,” Pamela Hardman, a gym member and college peer to Seier, said. “She’s a fantastic cheerleader, not only for her business and what she offers, but for the city too.”
The GoFundMe shows people “want to give back,” Hardman added.
The Community Gym has 12 coaches. Donations will be put towards paying staff, Seier said.
The cause of the ceiling collapse was not clear as of Monday. Seier has been back inside to clean up, but a reopening timeline isn’t set.
Engineers are looking at the site, Seier said.
Parlour Coffee had its ceiling checked; there are no concerns, Vogt said. The incident occurred on his first day as owner.
The Community Gym’s temporary closure might affect business at the coffee shop, Seier noted — plenty of gym-goers would stop for a drink after.
“Businesses downtown, we need each other. When they thrive, we thrive,” she told the Free Press.
As for The Community Gym donations, “every little bit matters,” she said.
