BOARD REPORT FOR JAN. 2021

​Dear Member-Owners,
Happy New Year!
While January 1st won’t witness our normal crowded fitness frenzy, and our building will remain eerily quiet, we are optimistic we’ll be able to welcome you back to the WRAC sometime this month! When the governor’s gym closure order is lifted, we are extremely confident we can provide a safe and sanitary venue for our members to gather in community to pursue active, healthy lifestyles. It’s why we exist.
We’ll likely reopen with prudent limitations, and our path to full, unrestricted operation will be a long one. The impact of the pandemic has been unequal among different people and businesses, and the WRAC and its wonderful team have borne significant financial pain. However, our proverbial glass is half full, and we’re ready to work extremely hard at rebuilding in three key areas:

1. We will rebuild our team.  The WRAC is successful because of the people that choose to work there. For almost a year, our dedicated staff have endured multiple reductions in hours, layoffs, and call-backs. We hope to bring back as many team members as possible, but the reality is that some have been forced to find other work or have relocated. Rebuilding with a core of long-time employees and some new faces is Job #1 for WRAC Manager Evy Gillin and her leadership team. Big kudos to Evy for her tireless efforts through the travails of this pandemic – she’s never worked harder or more effectively.
2. We will rebuild our membership.  Our sustained membership growth, particularly in the past five years, has been the lifeblood of the WRAC’s success and reputation. COVID has had a significant impact on many members of our community, and the WRAC has lost 33% of our membership. We hope many will choose to return, but we know not all will. We must all work to promote membership in our wonderful member-owned club.
3. We will rebuild our finances.  Thankfully, we’ve been able to rely on financial reserves and the generosity of many member-owners who have continued to pay full or partial dues. Other fitness businesses have not survived the economic impact of the pandemic. We must rebuild our financial reserves, and the only way we can do that is by restoring our membership. Simply said, 33% less dues-paying members will result in a financial operating loss. That cannot be sustained, and our path back to financial health relies on membership growth.

We will not charge dues for the month of January, even with likely reopening sometime during the month. Many of you have been generous with ongoing support despite the varying restrictions and closures. Any assistance is extremely helpful and appreciated. We will assume your billing status will stay the same as last month. If you wish to change something or provide feedback to us, you can do so by clicking here, JANUARY RESPONSE form.
We hope you share our optimism about the new year. This is your club, a member-owned non-profit established to promote healthy lifestyles in our community. Please share any suggestions or feedback with us.
Sincerely,
Your WRAC Board of Directors 
    Dick Lester, Pres.
    Stew Cusick, V.P.
    Bryan Noyd, Treasurer
    Nel Wheeler, Secretary
    Carolyn Dowell, Nick Jimenez, Cindy Lorrain, Rani Sampson