June 21, 2012 – Viewers of ABC’s “Secret Millionaire” on June 10th, 2012, were undoubtedly moved as they watched the co-founders of Anytime Fitness pour their hearts out, and open up their wallets, after learning about economic and other challenges faced by countless children in Oklahoma City, OK. What viewers may not have realized is that more than a dozen of Anytime Fitness’ preferred vendors, including Bluewater, teamed with the world’s fastest-growing fitness club chain to provide opportunities and enrich the lives of children for many years to come.
“The young children we met in Oklahoma City are dealing with unbelievable hardships,” said Chuck Runyon, Anytime Fitness co-founder and CEO. “Many of them are essentially homeless. Others have educational and nutritional needs that aren’t being met. The generosity of companies like Bluewater will go a long way towards giving these children a better chance to enjoy happy, healthy and productive lives.”
Among other things, Runyon and Dave Mortensen, Anytime Fitness co-founder and president, donated an entire Anytime Fitness club to benefit the OKC Youth Wrestling Foundation – an organization that mentors underprivileged children with a focus on teaching positive character traits. Twenty percent of the proceeds of the club will go directly to the Foundation, which assists hundreds of children in Oklahoma City each year.
Bluewater helped support Anytime Fitness’ efforts by equipping the club with an arsenal of marketing tools. Bluewater’s contribution included mail campaigns to spread the word about the Grand Opening of the new club, complete campaign support and free, real-time counts of prospective members in the area to kick-start their club growth.
“The week we spent with the kids in OKC changed our lives forever,” said Mortensen. “As anyone who watched the show could tell, it’s tough not to get emotional when you see the challenges that these kids face every day. At the same time, it’s incredibly heart-warming to know that there are organizations out there, like OKC Youth Wrestling, that are so dedicated to making a real difference in young people’s lives.”
“We hope Bluewater’s marketing tools and resources will contribute to the success of the new club. We have tremendous respect for the generosity and goodwill of the Anytime Fitness organization,” said Bluewater CEO Christine Kropp. “We’re happy to have been given a chance to support such a great cause.” Kropp added that Bluewater’s marketing services were provided pro bono.
The new Anytime Fitness club benefiting the OKC Youth Wrestling Foundation is located at 7140 NW 23rd Street in Bethany, Oklahoma. For more information about how the club and the Foundation are assisting children, or about how you can get involved, contact Tyler Williams at tylerjoewilliams@live.com.
About Bluewater
We grow brands. We’re the go-to partner for getting the right message to the right person at the right time. So whether you are at the corporate office or the local store, we’re the one to one marketing services firm that empowers your brand to grow. Fusion is Bluewater’s powerful multi-channel marketing platform that integrates mobile, web, email and smart mail for a far reaching, more effective marketing program that helps leading brands better connect with their consumers.
About Anytime Fitness
Founded in 2002, Anytime Fitness is now the fastest-growing fitness club franchise in the world, with nearly 1,600,000 members and 2,000+ clubs worldwide. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient and affordable fitness options in friendly, well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment. Clubs are now open in 49 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Grand Cayman, Poland, the Netherlands, Qatar and Japan. Join one club and use them all. Members also enjoy free access to AnytimeHealth.com, the most comprehensive wellness website available.
