On Saturday, October 17, members and non-members got their sweat on for a good cause at the first annual nationwide Crunch-a-thon event to raise funds for Augie’s Quest and finding a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Crunch offered a day of non-stop group fitness classes and personal training sessions at every Crunch location nationwide, with all proceeds going to Augie’s Quest.
Augie’s Quest was founded by fitness pioneer and founder of Life Fitness, Augie Nieto. Augie was diagnosed with ALS in March 2005, and since, has made it his personal mission to find a cure for the terminal disease by partnering with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to create Augie’s Quest. Augie has also called upon his friends and colleagues in the fitness industry, by creating Clubs for a Cure. Since their inception, Augie’s Quest and Clubs for a Cure have raised over $19,000,000.
Crunch-a-thon
On the evening of Thursday, October 8, Crunch hosted its Gym Shorts Film Festival at the Kips Bay club to honor the 30 Gym Shorts Film Contest finalists and to announce the $10,000 Grand Prize winner.
Upon arrival, attendees were greeted by the MC of the event, walked the red carpet, and had their pictures snapped by paparazzi. From there, the party-goers descended down the long flight of stairs, lit like the isle of an actual movie theater, to the party.
The tone of the night was set by a VJ spinning beats and mashing up snippets of the Gym Shorts films, which played on every screen in the gym. The group fitness studio was transformed into a screening theater where all 30 finalists’ work was featured. Plus, party-goers had the opportunity to star in one of the finalists’ films via green screen technology. Refreshments included Stella Artois, concession stand-style popcorn and movie theater candy passed out by classic candy girls.
Crunch Gym Shorts Film Festival
Participants got their Vinyasa on to the sound of live music during Crunch's third annual Yogapalooza Tour, a unique traveling outdoor event combining yoga and live musical performances for the ultimate workout experience. The four city tour launched in New York on September 17, made stops in Miami on September 19, LA on September 26, and wrapped in San Francisco on October 3rd.
The event began with a 90 minute Vinyasa yoga workout, followed by small group sessions where attendees learned to master their handstand and backbend. Following the yoga class, participants were hydrated by Smartwater, received a free bag of product samples from Havaianas, and enjoyed jam sessions by local musicians and bands including Howard Baker in New York, Fusik in Miami, MK & the Gentlemen in LA, and John Vicino and Company in San Francisco. Look for 2010 Yogapalooza Tour coming to a city near you!
Yogapalooza, 2009 Outdoor Tour
Crunch returned as a proud supporter and the official gym partner of the San Francisco Giant’s third annual Plate to Plate 5K Run and Walk to benefit the charitable organization, Project Open Hand. On Sunday, August 30, Crunch instructors kicked off the event with a high energy pre-run/walk warm up. As the participants neared the end of the 5K stretch they were given the unique opportunity to cross Home Plate at AT&T Park. The 5K run and walk was followed by a post-race festival with live music, food, giveaways, and an awards ceremony. And as an extra bonus, the racers received a free ticket to attend the San Francisco Giant’s baseball game that afternoon!
Plate to Plate 5K Run and Walk
On Thursday, August 27, friends, neighbors, and members joined Crunch for its Block Party themed event to celebrate the grand re-opening of the newly renovated Chestnut Street club in San Francisco. Festivities included a live DJ spinning fresh beats and yummy bites provided by our friends at Asqew. Additionally, Annie’s Hot Dogs was onsite with their vending carts, serving up hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and churros. Block Party go-ers quenched their thirst with beer provided by Phuket and participated in competitive games of beer pong!
New Crunch on the Block Party, Chesnut street, Renovated Crunch Location
Crunch returned as the official fitness partner of the NYC DOT’s second annual Summer Streets event. For three consecutive Saturday mornings in August, Park Avenue and connecting streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park were closed to vehicle traffic and open for all to walk, bike skate, run, play and enjoy. Plus, Crunch offered fitness classes throughout the day in front of the Union Square club. The event was part bike tour and part block party, offering exercise and a chance to enjoy the vehicle-free streets.
Summer Streets 2009
For the fourth consecutive year, Crunch showed its support for the Independent Television Festival, a festival for independently produced, original TV pilots and web series. The week long festival kicked off on July 31 at the theater next door to Crunch Sunset. With record breaking attendance (including a few well known celebs), ITVFest once again entertained and provided writers, directors, and producers alike, the opportunity to showcase their work.
Independent Television Festival
On Wednesday, August 19, Crunch joined L Magazine for SummerScreen, a free, outdoor weekly film screening series in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn held at the McCarren Park ball field. The evening kicked off with live music followed by the screening of Wild at Heart at sundown. Beer, wine and food were available throughout the evening and Crunch helped satisfy taste buds with free popcorn!
L Magazine's SummerScreen
On Saturday, July 25th Crunch and Urban Escapes partnered for the 2nd Annual Surfboarding Trip to Long Beach, LI. One hundred members, non-members, and employees met at Crunch Union Square at 9am, boarded two buses, made the trek to the Long Beach shore and enjoyed a day of fitness and relaxation. The day included surfing lessons taught by certified instructors from Surf2Live, yoga on the beach, sand volleyball, sun tanning, and a catered lunch.
2nd Annual Long Beach Surfboarding Trip
Crunch was the official gym partner of the 5th Annual Beach Ball Festival and, on Saturday, July 25, kicked off the event with a high energy warm up. After that, local bartenders and servers from South Beach’s hottest clubs and restaurants battled it out for the title, “King/Queen of the Beach.” The competition included dodge ball, tug-of-war, live music and a whole lot of partying.
5th Annual Beach Ball Festival in miami beach
Crunch is the official gym partner of City Chase, the World’s Largest Urban Adventure Series. Teams of two will compete in physical, mental, and over-the-top challenges scattered in unknown locations throughout the city to earn ChasePoints. The challenge will test the teammates’ capability to exhibit teamwork, resourcefulness, determination and the ability to make decisions on the fly. Are you ready for the Chase?
New York: Saturday, July 25
For more info and to register, visit www.citychaseusa.com.
City Chase New York, City Chase Chicago, Crunch is the official gym partner of City Chase, the World’s Largest Urban Adventure Series
Saturday, July 25 was a Wet Hot American Summer night in Brooklyn. BAMfans and Crunch members mingled at the pre-screening party hosted at Crunch Ft. Greene and enjoyed complimentary wine provided by HobNob and beer provided by Radeberger. After partying at Crunch, attendees made their way over to BAM Rose Cinemas for a late-night screening of the comedy cult film, Wet Hot American Summer, and free popcorn compliments of Crunch.
Wet Hot American Summer Late Night Pre-Party and Screening
Crunch teamed up once again with with Women’s Health Magazine for the Are You Game? event series, held on Pier 46 in New York City on July 11 and on North Avenue Beach in Chicago on July 18. For one day in each market, Women’s Health created unique interactive experiences with a rock climbing wall, bungee jumping and a cutting-edge workout class provided by Crunch. Other elements included a fashion show, mini-makeovers, free samples, fresh beats from a live DJ, tasty refreshments and more.
Women's Health Are You Game 2009
On Saturday, July 11, our partner, Chicago Sport and Social Club, took over North Avenue Beach for the Volleywood Beach Bash, an all-day beach party which included interactive games, a sun deck with chairs, food and beverages; plus a volleyball tournament and a live performance by the one-and-only MC Hammer! All other Chicagoland events “Can’t touch this!”
Volleywood Beach Bash, Chicago Sports and Social, North Avenue Beach
For the second consecutive year, Crunch was an official corporate sponsor of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration. The theme for the 2009 Crunch float was love and the expression of, “Any One, Any Way, Any How" a motto that fits under the umbrella of our "No Judgments” philosophy.
Crunch helped to celebrate the one year anniversary of Casey and Steven, the couple that wed on the Crunch float during the 2008 Pride Parade; in light of the court’s ruling to uphold Proposition 8 - which made same-sex marriages illegal in the state of California - Crunch wanted to show it's strong support of the LGBT community.
San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration
In June, New Yorkers experienced three days worth of healthy living, compliments of Vital Juice, a free daily e-mail that delivers the latest must-read information about fitness, nutrition, beauty and wellness. Vital Juice hosted it’s first ever Recessionista Pop-Up Wellness Retreat in Union Square and attendees enjoyed Crunch classes (Hula Hoop Pilates and Strip Bar to name just a few), spa treatments, some so-good-you-don’t-know-it’s-good-for-you health food and much, much more, all for free!
Vital Juice
On Saturday, May 30 Crunch partnered with Rooftop Films, a festival that showcases vibrant original content in outdoor venues across the city, to host the premiere of Strongman, “a humorous but heart-wrenching verité documentary about Stanless Steel, the only man in the world who can bend a penny with his fingers.” The evening began with the film screening on the roof of Brooklyn Technical High School, followed by an after-party at Crunch Ft. Greene where Stanless himself performed a jaw-dropping feat of strength and was run over by a truck – twice!
RoofTop Films, Roof of Brooklyn Technical High School, Strongman Screening
SELF Magazine’s Workout in the Park proved to be both successful and buzz-worthy in its sixteenth year. The signature wellness event traveled to three major markets: San Diego, New York, and Chicago. Crunch offered innovative workouts on the main stage, in the Ford Rebounding Zone, and the Quiet Zone. Attendees enjoyed a full day of healthy living and were treated to a variety of product samples, special offers, and hair and makeup consultations.
On Saturday, February 28, Crunch partnered with Urban Escapes to host its second annual ski/snowboarding trip to Hunter Mountain. Urban Escape guides, Crunch members, friends, and employees put their skills (those learned in Crunch’s Winter Boarding class) to the test. After six-plus hours of tearing up the slopes, the group headed to a local bar/restaurant to sip more than hot coca. After refueling their systems with tasty food and specially priced drinks, the group made their way back to the city.
On Saturday, February 14th, Crunch hosted its third annual Anti-Valentine’s Day event, Ex-Factor sponsored by Everlast; an event that saw men and women (members and non-members alike) all across the nation come out to honor Cupid by beating the snot out of an ex.
On Tuesday, February 10th Personal Trainers from all of Crunch’s San Francisco clubs took part in the Train for Charity event, offering both members and non-members the opportunity to experience an intense one-on-one workout while benefiting a good cause.
On Saturday, November 15, Crunch hosted its second annual Pole Dancing Member Showcase at our E. 59th Street location and approximately 300 people turned out to see some serious booty shaking.
On Monday, October 20th, Crunch transformed it’s Lafayette Street location from a sprawling, three-story gym into a sprawling, three-story nightclub – one that would play host to their “Under the Gymfluence” party, a sexy celebration of entertainment and fitness.
The Men's Health Urbanathlon was a complete ‘athalon’ experience with an urban twist, both in New York City on September 27 and Chicago on October 18. Over 4500 racers in both cities found their way through challenging urban obstacles at iconic city landmarks. As the official gym partner, Crunch designed a full online training program and a tailored Group Fitness class called Urbanathlete, and offered each race registrant a One Month All Access Membership to Crunch and three complementary personal training sessions.
Yoga enthusiasts and fitness fanatics alike came out to get their Vinyasa on to the sound of live music during the September/October Yogapalooza Tour, Crunch’s unique traveling outdoor event that combines yoga and live musical performances for the ultimate workout experience.
The 2008 City Chase urban adventure series required participants to exhibit teamwork, resourcefulness, determination and the ability to make decisions on the fly as they searched for ChasePoints scattered in unknown locations throughout each city.
On Saturday, July 26, Crunch hosted its first annual surfboarding trip to Long Beach, New York. Two buses carrying eighty members, non-members and employees made the trek out to the shore, pulling up to the sand at 10:15 am. Throughout the day these beachgoers enjoyed a variety of activities: a yoga class held from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, ninety-minute surfing lessons taught by certified instructors from Surf2Live and volleyball. A catered lunch from Zamboni’s deli helped everyone keep their energy levels high throughout the event, and all had fun in the sun until late into the afternoon.
In July 2008, Women’s Health hosted the Are You Game consumer events on Pier 46 in New York City and North Avenue Beach in Chicago.
Crunch was the official gym sponsor of the 2008 SF Pride Parade. In honor of the legalization of same sex marriage in San Francisco, Crunch made history by hosting a real life wedding ceremony on its parade float.
On Saturday, May 31, Crunch and Everlast presented the 2008 Saturday Boxing Showdown. 150 people rolled through Crunch 13th Street to watch Crunch members bout it out, party to music by a live DJ, and enjoy complimentary beer and fun giveaways.
On May 1, 2008, Crunch opened the doors of its newly renovated Washington Street location and invited members, 944 Magazine readers, and South Beach locals to sneak a peek, defy gravity, experience sexy, and feel the rhythm.
15 YEARS…AND STRONGER THAN EVER!
SELF Magazine’s Workout in the Park, a stellar health and fitness expo, marked 15 years with record attendance from enthusiastic readers this past spring. Sponsors of the event interacted with an astounding 13,000 women in San Diego, Chicago, Miami and New York.
On Saturday, March 22, Crunch hosted its first annual ski/snowboarding trip, loading forty-five members, non-members and employees onto a bus and sending them 2 hours north of New York City to Hunter Mountain where they put their skills learned in Crunch’s Winter Boarding class to the test.