Operators of the Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC came up with a novel way to keep members engaged and fit while the facilities are closed due to the coronavirus.
The team launched the social hashtag of #goofyplankchallenge to encourage people to post and share their core workouts online. This initiative started off as a local campaign in the Toronto area and quickly spread within North America as other JCCs got involved.
The challenge ended with a “Plank Party” — a 30-minute core class that consisted of three different instructors from three different JCCs leading 250+ JCC members across North America through the class.
“Like many organizations in this industry we have had to pivot completely to the digital platform if we wanted to continue to service and engage with our members/community,” said Andy Hvizd, director of fitness and aquatics. “The silver lining of COVID-19 is that it has challenged us to innovate and think beyond the walls of our centres or for that matter our communities. For organizations that have successfully pivoted their reach goes well beyond what it was before.”
Schwartz/Reisman Centre and Prosserman JCC have also built relationships with Mud Girl and Mud Hero and are now working with them to provide content related to fitness classes and workouts specifically designed for obstacle course racing.
“We have been successful in developing these micro-level and macro-level strategic partnerships to increase reach/brand awareness within our communities and beyond,” Hivzd said.
Social posts tagged with the #goofyplankchallenge have exceeded 500 on Instagram and Facebook, and over 25 JCCs and cities across Canada and the United States have participated.
