Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs Cedar Lake Location Gives Back to Local Community, Spearheading Fundraisers and Involvement Programs

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, the 17-unit fitness franchise, has consistently prioritized community as a quintessential pillar of the business. While Fitness Premier owners work diligently to foster a culture of acceptance and respect within the facilities, the involvement often reaches to include individuals in the broader community including non-members and larger — even national — organizations.

Josh Hettiger, owner of Fitness Premier in Cedar Lake, Indiana, works to remain involved within his community through the members of the gym. Hettiger grew up playing sports and was excited to transfer some of the values instilled in him through athletic involvement when he opened his first location.

“When I played college football we did a lot of community give-back — Special Olympics, volunteering, 5k walks and whatnot,” he said. “That community involvement aligns with Fitness Premier because members are always looking for runs and challenges, and we’re able to be a community staple by supporting the causes they care about.”

In the past few months, Hettiger has led the Cedar Lake location in raising money for breast cancer awareness, participating in a food drive for Thanksgiving and Toys for Tots drive for Christmas, a fundraiser for St. Baldrick’s Foundation and, most recently, a partnership with a local church to put on an Easter egg hunt for families who would not be able to conduct their own.

There is some sort of community involvement effort going on every month, and it is largely based on the needs of members or the larger community. “The amount that people are willing to do to give back is outstanding,” Hettiger said. “We had a member who was raising money for breast cancer awareness; we wanted to hop in and do what we could to support, so we led a fundraiser for the cause.” Even though consistently managing giving campaigns can create a substantial amount of extra work, the outcomes are always well worth the effort.

“It’s really just about finding something that is relevant in the community and then using what we have — which is 1,500 willing members who want to help — and leveraging that to support our community,” Hettiger said. “It doesn’t take much to put a jug at the front to collect change for a local member or cause. And when these people are coming in every day and getting the best out of themselves, they’re at their most willing to help someone else.”

Beyond fundraising efforts, Hettiger explained that Fitness Premier works to build person-to-person community bonds. “We don’t want to just be a business that’s collecting money each month without really being involved. We want to be involved in any way we can, looking to help someone’s life outside of our own and working to carry that energy throughout the year,” he said.

“Community is a classic aspect of the Fitness Premier brand. We want members to feel encouraged and respected within their fitness community, but reaching beyond the building truly allows us to establish ourselves as a team of people that will always be available to provide support of any kind,” explained Jason Markowicz, Fitness Premier CEO.

While fundraising is often associated with a cause that is close to a member’s heart or even directly impacts a portion of the community, Hettiger says he strives to contribute to even more personal causes alongside monetary efforts. While Fitness Premier is committed to providing a space where members can focus on their health and wellbeing, they approach this effort in more ways than one. Many of the more involved community efforts directly contribute to increasing the health and wellness of individuals within the greater community.

Fitness Premier as a whole has partnered with Versiti, a blood donation organization, to conduct quarterly blood drives at various clubs, and the Cedar Lake location had over 25 donors within a six hour donation window at the most recent drive — potentially saving over 75 lives. Hettiger also addresses mental health within his community by organizing walks and races for Suicide Prevention Month and conducting an after-school youth program where pre-teens are invited to participate in a group workout three times per week.

Hettiger says of the youth program, specifically, “It’s something I would have taken advantage of when I was a kid, and I know it’ll greatly affect these kids and hopefully help them as they grow up.” There are certain values that are developed through sports, and the opportunity to participate in movement not only allows the students to work on their physical fitness but creates a space where they can blow off steam and develop healthy coping mechanisms to support mental health.

Ultimately, he says, he and his team are looking to better the lives of every single person who walks through their front door. “We’re here to help more than anything. Whatever the case may be, whether it’s with your mental struggles, your physical struggles, a cause that is close to you or if you don’t have food that month, we just want to be of help to someone.”

The total initial investment necessary to begin operation of a Fitness Premier Club Model is $279,849 to $575,499, including a $39,999 franchise fee. For more information visit * .

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs is a fast-growing, 17-location, group-workout gym concept that creates a community with its staff and guests. Backed by franchise executive, Jason Markowicz and his franchisee-focused corporate team, Fitness Premier differentiates itself with great people, culture, and systems compounded by a growth focus in strategic yet smaller markets where some fitness brands would not think to grow. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit .