the secret is out
Millions of Americans just watched Anytime Fitness Co-founders Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen's life-changing experience on ABC’s “Secret Millionaire.” To learn more about each of the organizations, and to discover a few behind-the-scenes secrets, watch the videos below.
okc youth wrestling foundation
limbs for life
closer to earth
the breakdown
Living in squalid conditions and subsisting on a tight budget, Anytime Fitness Co-founders Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen touched the hearts of everyone who viewed the show by making significant donations to a pair of wonderful organizations in Oklahoma City.
But what aired on TV was only part of the story.
Chuck and Dave actually donated money to three organizations—due to time constraints, the producers of the show only introduced viewers to two of those organizations—and the bonds formed between Anytime Fitness and the people of Oklahoma City will endure for many years to come.
As seen on the show, Chuck and Dave donated $39,000 and an Anytime Fitness club valued at $150,000 to the Oklahoma City Youth Wrestling Foundation. They also donated $100,000 plus all the proceeds from Chuck’s new book, Working Out Sucks, to Limbs for Life, an organization that provides prosthetic devices to thousands of people who need them, all over the world. Not seen on the show, Chuck and Dave setup a $20,000 college tuition fund and purchased a truck for Closer to Earth, a group that uses gardening activities to provide mentoring services to at-risk youth in Oklahoma City.
If you’ve haven’t seen the episode yet, check it out on the Secret Millionaire website.
a heart first franchise
Filming the ABC show “Secret Millionaire” was a challenging physical and emotional test for Anytime Fitness Co-founders Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen. It pushed them outside their comfort zones and ultimately inspired them to establish the Heart First charitable giving program.
Anytime Fitness franchisees that choose to participate in the Heart First program receive discounted startup fees in exchange for ongoing contributions to the Anytime Fitness Charitable Fund. With input from club owners, we’ll choose a different organization or group of organizations to receive the funds each year. Annual contributions from the Anytime Fitness Charitable Fund will be highlighted and published in an annual report. The inaugural charities will be announced in fall 2012.
As we know from our industry, the best trainers and owners simply care more about their clients. We “spot” our members to help them lift a heavier weight. Heart First gives us a way to “spot” people in need by giving them a helping hand in a different way.
In short, Heart First is the perfect way to pair “good deeds” with “good business.” It’s easy. It’s effective. It enhances our communities. And it aligns with our mission to improve the self-esteem of the world.
sm organizations
working out sucks
It might be the last thing you would expect to hear from a fitness company, but we’re not shy about admitting it: “Working out sucks.” Let’s be honest, almost nobody truly enjoys working out. But what’s the alternative? Exercising is something all of us simply need to do in order to be healthy and enjoy the really important things in life.
Chuck Runyon—Anytime Fitness Co-founder and CEO—has written a new book called Working Out Sucks. The book, which features provocative chapters like, “Friends Can Suck, Too,” and “Superman Had Kryptonite; Oprah Had Mac ‘n’ Cheese,” also includes a 21-day kick-start plan for total health and fitness. Co-authors Rebecca DeRossett and Brian Zehetner offer practical tips to change unhealthy habits, and cutting-edge diet and fitness advice.
All proceeds from the book will be donated to Limbs for Life, a charitable organization that provides prostheses to amputees.
The book is the centerpiece of a nationwide initiative to “deprogram” people who have been brainwashed by unhealthy habits, destructive attitudes and misinformation about health. It’s a no BS way to get back on track.
To learn more about Working Out Sucks, watch the brief trailer below and go to workingoutsucks.com.
working out sucks