Even if you are not one of The Edge Sports and Fitness Club’s 8,000 members, chances are you have heard of them. They have five different locations in Chittenden County, each providing the typical fitness club array of cardiovascular machines, weight machines, and free weights, and four of their facilities have pools. Edge Sports and Fitness complements their facilities with a vast assortment of programs, including those involving yoga, spinning, body pump, aquatic, tennis, and parisi. They also offer nutrition counseling and personal training, and if you want something really more challenging and different, they have an extreme obstacle course at the Kennedy Drive location! What you might not know about The Edge Sports and Fitness Club, however, is how much they do to support the less fortunate in Chittenden County.
I only discovered the depth of their involvement after I met Mike Feitelberg, the president of the Edge Sports and Fitness, through the company’s involvement with the STAR basketball program. STAR basketball is a 6-week program that is run every year for children ages 4-21 who have special needs and that the Edge has co-sponsored the last four years. I have since learned that the Edge hosts and or supports a number of programs for children and adults with special needs. Among them are:
o An incredible tennis program that Jake Agna runs “Kids on the Ball” a tennis program for the King Street Youth Center on a year round basis
o Caleb Hall-Potvin (swim team coach) who has included several special needs children on his team
o Pool time for Special Olympics athlete training
o Kayla’s Directory given gym space for the mini-milers program
o Project Search which helps students from high school transition into the work place
o Providing gym passes to clients who access Howard Center for Human Services
I am sure I am missing some but as you can tell, they do a lot and it is all about community and inclusion.
Also encouraging is that Mike’s dedication to helping others has trickled down to his son, Daniel. As I previously blogged, Daniel is a mentor to a Mitch at the STAR basketball program. His compassion and dedication to helping others has already begun at the age of 12. (http://www.kaylasdirectory.org/dynamic-duo/)
So the next time you happen to go by one of the Edge Sports and Fitness facilities, keep in mind that they are one of the companies in the area that are taking the time and effort to have a very positive effect on people who have special needs and by doing so, on the community as a whole. Even better, if you have the inclination, go in and thank them for their commitment to making the Burlington area the special community that it is.