TORONTO, May 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Planet Fitness, one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers with more members than any other fitness brand, officially kicks off its High School Summer PassTM program today, opening its doors to high schoolers ages 14 – 191 to work out for free this summer through August 31 at any of the more than 2,400 Planet Fitness locations throughout the United States and Canada. Sign up now at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass or at any Planet Fitness club. Teens under 18 in the U.S. and under 19 in Canada must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.
ADDRESSING TEEN HEALTH CONCERNS
Planet Fitness’ third year of the High School Summer Pass program comes at a time when mental and physical health is a top priority for teens and parents. A study conducted by Canadian non-profit ParticipACTION reported that Canadian youth and teens may not be getting the exercise they need. Key report findings include:
- 62 per cent of kids and teens were being less physically active.
- 79 per cent of kids and teens were spending more leisure time on screens.
- Only 28 per cent of Canadian kids and teens in Canada met the national physical activity guidelines in 2021.2 This is an 11% decrease from 2020 and has resulted in an overall "D" grade in the 2022 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. The overall grade in the 2020 edition of the report was D+.
The High School Summer Pass program provides all teens a safe space – a truly Judgement Free Zone® – to prioritize their mental and physical wellbeing during a season when school is out and important academic and extracurricular programs such as sports, gym class and after-school activities are paused.
“We’re excited to officially open our doors to high school students today and provide a safe and Judgement Free space for teens to focus on their mental and physical health this summer as part of our High School Summer Pass program,” said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer at Planet Fitness. “At Planet Fitness, we’re proud of our commitment to give teens free access during the summer so they can develop long-lasting, healthy habits and experience all the benefits of fitness.”
ADDED MOTIVATION ALL SUMMER LONG
To further motivate high schoolers to prioritize fitness, all participants who sign up are encouraged to enter the Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass Contest3. Planet Fitness will award 10 lucky teens in the U.S. and Canada with $10,000 individual academic scholarships ($100,000 total) via a TikTok video submission contest. To enter, teens are asked to post a TikTok video tagging @planetfitness using the hashtags #contest and #HSSP23US (U.S. members) or tagging @planetfitnessca using the hashtags #contest and #HSSP23CAN (Canada members) that describes their High School Summer Pass experience. The contest submission period runs through August 31.
Additionally, the top 10 schools on the leaderboard across U.S. and Canada in each tier (as described in the rules) will each receive $10,000! These scholarships can be used to fund athletic equipment, field renovations, physical fitness classes and health and wellness initiatives.
For more information on High School Summer Pass, including how to sign up for the free membership at any of the more than 2,400 Planet Fitness locations in the U.S. and Canada, visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass
About Planet Fitness
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the world by number of members and locations. As of March 31, 2023, Planet Fitness had more than 18.1 million members and 2,446 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico and Australia. The Company’s mission is to enhance people’s lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.
Media Contact
Becky Zirlen
Senior Director of Communications
603-294-0567
press@pfhq.com
Sreeja Sasidharan
Narrative
647-212-3121
Sreeja.sasidharan@narrative.ca
____________________________________________
1 Teenagers ages 14 – 19 can visit any Planet Fitness location in the United States and Canada. Teens must work out at the location they sign up at and are not permitted to use other locations. Teens under 18 must sign-up with a parent or guardian in-club or online at PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass. Once the parent or guardian waiver is signed for teens under 18, teens can work out alone. Students who are already 18 do not need a parent or guardian to be present during the sign-up process.
2 2022 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
3 NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to residents of the 50 US/D.C. and Canadian provinces of ON, AB, MB, SK, NB, NL & BC, 14-19 years of age (with parent approval if a minor). $100,000 USD available in the U.S. and $100,000 CAD available in Canada. Void where prohibited. Begins 12:00 a.m. ET on 5/15/23; ends 11:59 p.m. ET on 8/31/23. Grand Prizes (5 for US Students): a $10,000 USD scholarship. Grand Prizes (5 for CAN Students): a $10,000 CAD scholarship. School Prizes (5; 1 per US school tier): $10,000 for athletics and fitness. School Prizes (5; 1 per CAN school tier): $10,000 CAD for athletics and fitness. Winning schools selected based on number of HSSP members from the school and applicable school tier. All prizes awarded as a check to schools/winners (or parent/legal guardian if winner is a minor). For Official Rules, eligibility, entry and school tier details, visit www.pfsummerpasscontest.com. Sponsor: Planet Fitness Holdings, LLC.
