Update: May 18th, 2020
After spending much of my life at sea, I often draw from my experience as a commercial fisherman. There was a period of time where it cost as much for us to catch and process a pound of crab as we could sell it for. When I asked the owner how we could keep working under such conditions he explained that even though the company was not profitable, the boat was supporting 12 families and that was enough for him.
This has a familiar feeling to our current situation in our new reality as we all work together through this crisis. Island Fitness was recently granted an emergency loan through the PPP (Payroll Protection Plan). This loan, along with your continued support, is a lifeline and will assure that we can reopen. We could not do this without you and through your support we’ve been able to keep the majority of staff on full payroll.
Currently seven weeks into the mandated closure and we are beginning to get an idea of when we will be able to reopen. Governor Inslee has extended the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order through May 31st. He has also announced a 4-phased approach to bringing Washington’s economy back online.
Phase 1 began on May 4th and Phase 3, where Island Fitness falls, is predicted for mid-June. We’re meeting (via Zoom) as a staff and preparing for this and researching best practices to keep us all safe and healthy when we do reopen. We’ll be sending a survey to members this week to seek your input on what you need to see and know to feel safe returning to Island Fitness. We look forward to communicating with you in advance of our reopening when we have our safety procedures in place.
We continue to bring you online content and hope you’ve taken advantage of the more than 25 virtual classes (and more to come!) each week. Classes range from High Intensity, Low Impact Training to Zumba, Yoga, Pilates, Wellness Coaching and even Meditation. Many members are virtually meeting with their trainers as well.
From our heart(s) to your home,
Michael, Alexa and the entire Island Fitness staff
April 9th, 2020
Watch an updated video message from Michael & Alexa regarding the closure of Island Fitness.
March 16th, 2020
While this is a letter we wish we did not have to write, we are notifying you that Island Fitness will be temporarily closing as of Tuesday, March 17th. This is a decision that has become increasingly inevitable. There will be no onsite group fitness classes on Monday, March 16th. Not only does our personal research support these actions, but we are fortunate to have members in our community who are experts and have offered advice and resources, which we cannot ignore.
Island Fitness is a business built on the foundation of bringing people together, yet one of the most effective ways to curtail the spread of this virus is social distancing. We understand there is a question of overreacting and succumbing to hysteria. We have felt the tide shift over the last few days as expert after expert reinforced this move.
We have begun work on bringing you group fitness classes and personal training online. Stand by, we will have instructions for you in the next few days.
We will initially plan for a 2-week shutdown but cannot say for sure exactly how long this closure will last. We will look for official guidance on a safe time to reopen. The financial impact of this is obviously significant. We have 60 extraordinary employees and are committed to standing by them and assuring they can maintain their livelihoods and be here when we reopen our doors.
We are asking you to please not cancel your memberships or put them on hold at this time, unless you yourselves are financially burdened by this crisis. We have been in business for 18 years, standing by our community, and we now ask that we all stand together in these uncertain times.
To our collective good health.
Michael, Alexa for the entire Island Fitness staff.