No Contract Memberships, How to Join
Learn about our gym
- Use the Equipment link above to learn about our gym.
- Use the Membership Info link above for membership rates.
- If you are a senior with a Medicare supplemental plan, you can probably use the gym or take classes for free under the SilverSneakers program. Call the number below and we can check your eligibility.
If you decide to join, you will need to meet with a staff member to sign two membership agreements. The Gym is a non-profit corporation operated by volunteers and is not regularly staffed, so you will need to call Dave at 814-360-2659 for assistance. We can arrange a time to meet you at the gym.
CRW&F Receives $785.54 from Penelec to Continue Our Energy Conservation Efforts
This grant will result in energy savings in years to come. It helps us to complete our conversion to LED lighting and to install occupancy sensor switches in our restrooms.
Amazon Will Donate to CRW&F at No Cost to You
- If you bookmark our web site, and click the “Go to smile.amazon.com” button to the right you will enroll Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness as your Amazon Prime charity.
- Amazon will make a donation to CRW&F at no cost to you for each purchase you make.
- Once we are enrolled as your charity, you will need to use the url, https://smile.amazon.com/ when you shop in order for us to get the donation.
Amazon has a program where they will donate 0.5% of purchases to qualified non-profits. If you use the “Go to smile.amazon.com” button to the right, you will be taken to the Amazon screen shown below. A click on the “Start Shopping” button will take you to your regular shopping experience, but Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness. There is no additional cost to you.
After your first visit, clicking the image will take you directly to your Amazon account.
Volunteers Needed to Lead SilverSneakers Classic Classes
We are looking for volunteers to lead SilverSneakers Classic Classes. SilverSneakers Classic is a excellent introduction to a regular exercise program. We recommend at least two sessions per week to get benefits of the program. Send an email to crwellness@embarqmail.com if you are interested in helping.
Leaders will need to do several training sessions at the gym in order to qualify as an instructor. Click the video below to see examples from the class.
SilverSneakers Classic
Designed to increase muscle strength, range of movement and improve activities for daily living. A chair is used for seated exercises and standing support and class can be modified depending on fitness levels.
SilverSneakers Classic Video (Click image to play.)
CRW&F Gift Certificates
You can purchase Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness gift certificates for any amount. They are available at the gym, or you can purchase them online, and we will send the certificate to you by mail. Click the Gift Certificates link on the top menu for more information.
Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness is a non-profit operated by volunteers. We need help staffing the front desk.
You can work out while watching the desk, but will need to stop to answer questions, enroll new members, and take membership payments.
Email crwellness@embarqmail.com
Chestnut Ridge Physical Therapy
Chestnut Ridge Physical Therapy, operated by Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber, offers physical therapy services at our location. Call the number below for more information.
Thomas Anders, Ryan Kegg, and Jessica Verno after Department of Health Approval of Chestnut Ridge Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy Hours of Operation
Monday 8:00 – 6:00
Tuesday 8:00 – 4:00
Wednesday 8:00 – 6:00
Thursday 8:00 – 4:00
Friday 8:00 – 12:00 noon
Call 401-1167 (local call) for appointments.
January, 2019, Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness is now open to the public.
Members can access the gym 24/7 with a key card. Use this link to apply for a key card.
After
Before
Our Story – Preparation
Thanks to all who brought cars, donated baskets, Art & Elena Shore of the Earth Angels who provided entertainment, and everyone who came to patronize the event.
Thanks to Whysong’s Pharmacy, for their Sustaining Sponsorship of Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness!
Whysong’s Pharmacy • 4186 Cortland Avenue • New Paris, PA 15554 • 814-839-9997 • info@whysongspharmacy.net
Historical Information
Chestnut Ridge Wellness & Fitness is now incorporated as a non-profit operating in Pennsylvania. We started fundraising July 12 – 15 at the Classic Car and Tractor Show in Alum Bank to open a wellness & fitness facility .
June 28 Update
- The incorporation paperwork has been submitted. As soon as we are incorporated, we will can open our bank account.
- We received quotes on several combinations of equipment, and we will post them on this site in the near future.
- We have a space at the Alum Bank Fire Company Classic Weekend, July 12 – 15, and we plan to use the space to kick off our fund raising efforts.
- We need to select a logo for our signage, letterhead, t-shirts, and any other branding we do. You can help us select the logo by clicking on the Pick the Logo link on the top menu.
NEXT PLANNING STEP
One of our next steps is to create a business plan for the gym. In order to do this, we will need an estimate of the number of people who plan to join the gym. We hope to keep membership fees at $25 per month or less, and we plan to accept Silver Sneaker and other insurance reimbursements.
Please use this link or click the “Plan to Join” menu if you plan to become a gym member. Completing the form does not commit you to joining. It is only for planning purposes.
SUMMARY OF THURSDAY MAY 10 GYM MEETING
After introductions we heard reports on what is needed and what has been done to date. This included:
- We believe there has been sufficient interest in membership to support the gym’s operating expenses.
- Re-equipping the gym could cost as much as $125,000. We will need to raise about $30,000 in order to be eligible to borrow sufficient funds to equip the gym.
- The intent is to operate the gym as a non profit community service. In order to do this we will need to operate with a lot of volunteer help.
- We visited a lawyer to discuss options for incorporation. We are leaning toward incorporating as a 501c3 non-profit. This option requires more paperwork on the accounting side, but it will also allow us to apply for some grants and allow us to accept tax deductible donations.
- We have had discussions with UPMC Bedford about wellness services that might be offered at our location. Multiphasic blood screenings, blood pressure checks, & flu shots are possibilities.
- We have had discussions with a physical therapist about offering services that could be covered by insurance such as initial evaluations for exercise plans and physical therapy as well as for fee services such as massages.
- As a 5013c Corp, governance of the gym would be by a board of directors.
- In order to run a successful non-profit, we will need to find ways for people to have a stake in its success.
- We met with a representative of Commonwealth Bank to discuss financing and networking ideas.
- We have contacted Bedford County Development Associations for ideas.
- When the old gym was running well, it had approximately 250 memberships.
- We hope to start the gym with membership at $25 / month.
- We plan to apply for Silver Sneakers and approval of other health plans. Silver Sneakers would require us to offer classes.
- We plan to operate the gym with some form of 24 hour access for members.
We then had an open discussion about the future gym, how to get it started, and how to operate it.
- Tisha Maxwell has many ideas for fundraising.
- There were many comment about how much we liked the setup of the old gym, and how it was clean and friendly. We want to maintain that atmosphere and improve if possible.
- We talked about entertainment options including wifi and devices for use with the cardio equipment.
- We talked about the name for the gym, including Chestnut Ridge Wellness and Fitness, ABC Wellness & Fitness. We will conduct an online poll of the membership to choose the name. We will need to choose the name before we incorporate.
Next Steps
- We need to get a definite number of people who want to join the gym. We will do this through the web site.
- Conduct an online poll to select the name for the gym, also through the web site.
- Develop an email group so we can communicate with folks who do not use facebook.
- Get equipment prices
- Create a business plan so we know the actual amount of money we will need to raise.
- Incorporate the gym under the name selected by the gym community.
Web site address is https://crwellness.wordpress.com