THREE RIVERS, Mich. (The Kalamazoo Press) — The Three Rivers community is petitioning for more to be done to save its local fitness center before it closes at the end of September.
Beacon Health & Fitness Three Rivers announced last week that it will shut down its doors, leaving many users shocked and heartbroken over what they describe as a significant loss to the community.
"It's impacting a lot more people than I think they expected," said Misty Gisoldi, who started the petition and is a facility user. "People have been going here for 20 or 30 years. So the friendships, it's basically family."
Gisoldi has only been using the facility for a short time but has already developed a strong appreciation for the services offered and the friendships gained there. Her petition now has more than 150 signatures.
"I think everyone just kind of wanted to have a voice in it instead of just, 'oh, this is happening,'" Gisoldi said. "Well, we're the patrons. We're the ones that are using this facility."
The petition calls for the facility to remain open and urges a search for alternatives before a permanent shutdown. It describes the center as much more than a gym, calling it a lifeline for many in the community, particularly seniors, families, people with disabilities, and veterans.
"I'm a disabled veteran. I do have physical limitations that I am unable to do high impact or even medium impact exercises, so the pool was a great option for me," Gisoldi said. "How are we going to move safely so we don't hurt ourselves or we don't overdo it? Because now we're all trying to find alternatives."
In a statement last week, Beacon said the decision was not made lightly and comes after years of leadership exploring various ways to strengthen and sustain the facility. Despite those efforts, which included attempts to grow membership and expand programming, the fitness center was not generating enough revenue.
The petition notes that closing the facility would leave many without a comparable local resource, forcing residents to drive further for services that not everyone can access.
"Personally, for me, it's really hard for me to do those drives," Gisoldi said. "I feel that there could have been more done to try and save it, other than just, 'hey, we're closing.' It's obviously financial. So I think that we're just hoping that maybe the community can step up or someone can invest. We don't want to lose such an essential aspect of so many people's lives."