In 2016, Planet Fitness raised more than $1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and STOMP Out Bullying through the success of their November membership sale. Proceeds went toward tolerance training and encouraging body-positivity imaging inside fitness venues.
“With 91 percent of teens believing we lack kindness in the way we treat one another, we know that now, more than ever, we need to come together to support this important cause,” Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau told The Parkersburg News and Sentinel.
In March of 2016, Planet Fitness launched an anti-bullying initiative entitled The Judgement Free Generation, a fundraising and awareness campaign that seeks to encourage inclusion and positivity inside their own work-out spaces and other recreation facilities and programs
In early November, the club offered new members the opportunity to sign up at any of its 1,200 nationwide locations, with all enrollment fees to be donated to The Judgement Free Generation. Existing members were also elicited for $1 donations, with donor’s names displayed at the welcome desk.
Proceeds from the campaign have already funded STOMP Out Bullying resources for more than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs, as well as sponsoring youth development training for Boys & Girls Clubs staff through the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
“Planet Fitness will continue to find ways to support a more inclusive generation of kids and teens, and we are proud of what The Judgement Free Generation has accomplished in its inaugural year,” said Rondeau.
Jennifer Bateman, VP of health, wellness and gender at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, said, “Social and emotional well-being is an essential component to one’s overall health and wellness. The Judgement Free Generation is ensuring that our teens have what they need to put them on the path to a great future.”
