Newspaper Page Text
Page 8A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Social
Lottery winner uses funds to start fitness club
Benefit dance ahead for Elliott
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Martin is chiefly responsible for
processing new memberships, main
taining equipment, assisting person
al trainer Malcolm Simpson, and
supervising the club's day-to-day
operations. And because he lives
close-by, he's also on call on those
rare occasions when a late-night
patron experiences difficulty with
his entry key.
Martin told me that 60 percent of
the club’s current members are teach
ers or other government employees,
and about 60 percent female as well.
He further pointed out that, although
Anytime Fitness welcomes month-
by-month patrons with no contract,
98 percent of their customers choose
one-to-three year commitments over
monthly memberships.
“Not only are contract rates $10-20
dollars cheaper than monthly rates,
but you can quit any long-term com
mitment at any time for just a $100
cancellation fee,” he explained.
Monthly rates are currently $50
plus a one-time $15 processing
charge and a $35 dollar card key
charge. Contract rates vary from $40
per month for 12 months to $30 per
month for 36 months. In addition,
there are enrollment fees that vary
from $100 to $150 per term. These
cover the first month of membership,
one cardkey, and a National Data
entry charge.
Although the Mulberry Place loca
tion is currently the only Anytime
In Focus
with Fil
Fil Jessee
filwrites@aol.com
Among the Northeast
Georgia businessmen on my
“how lucky can you get” list,
Kevin Wimbs of Jefferson
tops the totem pole.
Driving home from work
late on the evening before
his 33rd birthday on Aug. 31,
2006, he decided to stop at
a convenience store at the intersec
tion of Hwy. 211 and Hwy. 124 in
Braselton, and spend the last $10 in
his wallet on a lottery ticket.
It was one of those scratch-off
“Slots of Luck” tickets and, while
still in the store, he learned that he
was a big winner.
However, he really didn’t know
how big until he asked the sales clerk
to run the ticket after all the other
customers had left the building.
What Wimbs initially thought was
a $25,000 prize turned out to be a
$250,000 windfall. That’s about a
$171,000 after taxes and what I call
a really nice birthday present!
Yet, while many other big lottery
winners are tempted to spend a large
portion of their winnings on expen
sive luxuries like yachts and classic
cars, Wimbs chose a more practical
option.
He decided to use the bulk of his
money to open a second business in
Braselton.
“Both my father and my finan
cial consultant convinced me that I
should never spend my assets on my
toys,” Wimbs said. But he did apply
a small portion of his prize money
to paying off some bills and taking
a long deep-sea fishing trip out of
Destin, Fla.
Wimbs’ original firm is Wired
Communications, a year-old com
pany based in Jefferson and special
izing in custom low-voltage wir
ing, cable, satellite, data, telephone,
home theater and related electronics.
His newest enterprise is Anytime
Fitness, a Mulberry Place franchise
he purchased from a national com
pany based in Hastings, Minnesota.
Anytime Fitness began with two
fitness clubs in 2002 and, since,
has sold more than 1,400 territories
nationwide. With more than 650 new
clubs expected to open by the end of
2007, it isn’t surprising that Forbes
magazine named this company as
one of the top 25 franchises and that
it is considered one of the world’s
fastest growing fitness club chains.
Although these accolades cer
tainly had a lot to do with Wimbs’
initial interest in Anytime Fitness,
he credits Jefferson friend and fellow
work-out partner John Cook as the
person who really shoved him off the
diving board.
“He knew I had a strong interest in
personal fitness, and encouraged me
to turn this into a business,” Wimbs
said.
When I asked him why he thought
Anytime Fitness would succeed in
Braselton better than other longer-
established franchises, he told me
“it’s because we are co-ed, have
24-hour card key access, do not
require long-term contracts, and
offer the newest and best work-out
equipment in the business.”
In addition, Wimbs pointed out
“we offer a no-frills family atmo
sphere you won’t find at gyms or
other fitness clubs.”
Wimbs further explained that
Anytime Fitness is not the kind of
place where you’ll typically find
a lot of serious body builders. He
described it as more of center for
improving personal health by routine
exercise, goal setting and lifestyle
changes.
To accomplish this for a variety
of customers who vary in age from
19 to 91 and come there for a vari
ety of reasons, Anytime Fitness has
a close working relationship with
nearby Chateau Spinal Rehab (CSR)
and also offers two on-staff personal
trainers and one nutritionist.
Personal training is especially rec
ommended for those who tend to
quit exercising because of boredom,
lack of quick results, or the inability
to establish goals and stick to a regi
men without a coach.
It is also recommended by
Chiropractic Doctor Gary Adams of
CSR for some of his patients who
require supervised therapy. And for
those who may benefit from CSR
services. Anytime Fitness contract
clients get an optional free month of
consultation with Dr. Adams.
Since the responsibilities of run
ning his communications firm take
the majority of Kevin Wimbs’ time,
he appointed Shannon Martin as
general manager for his fitness club.
A benefit dance for Sherry
Elliott will be held from 7 to 11
p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at West
Jackson Primary School gym.
The cost is $25 per couple or $15
per single.
Elliott, 39, is on a kidney trans
plant list and a fund-raising com
mittee is seeking to raise at least
$20,000 to $30,000 to help Elliott
with post-transplant treatments.
The committee is working with the
Georgia Transplant Foundation’s
Access to Care, which will match
funds up to $10,000.
Eliott is a special education
paraprofessional at WJPS. She is
a mother of three daughters and
has been married to David Elliott
for 23 years.
In addition to the benefit dance,
donations are also accepted at any
Peoples Bank under the Elliott
Kidney Fund. Checks may also be
sent to Terry Baird, P.O. Box 313,
Braselton, GA 30517.
For more information, contact
Elliott at 770-530-7277; Pam
Hightower, 770-906-4104; Chasity
Fortenberry, 770-882-6055;
Hannah Elliott, 770-530-2648; or
Loraine Baird, 706-654-2454.
Braselton author featured
in new book, ‘Our Journey’
Author Ruthanna Kilpatrick-
Bass, Braselton, is one of 22 writ
ers featured in a new book, “Our
Journey,” which is on sale at several
Gainesville locations.
“Our Journey” is a collection of
63 stories and poems by the writ
ing organization Northeast Georgia
Writers. The 82-page book sells for
$12.50.
The book is available at the
Northeast Georgia History Center’s
gift shop, the Books-A-Million at
Lakeshore Mall and Frames You-
Nique on the square in Gainesville.
Bass published three poems in
the collection. She also won a first
place award for the short story and
second place for the poetry cat
egory in the annual contest of the
organization.
Frames You-Nique will hold a
book signing on Wednesday, Oct.
31, from noon to 1 p.m.
Also, the writer’s group meets at
1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of
each month at St. Paul Methodist
Church, located on Washington
Street in Gainesville. Interested
persons are welcomed to attend.
www.hamiltonstatebank.com
telebanc: 1-877-527-2416
MEMBER
FPJ€ S
* APY means annual percentage yield.
*’ Bonus rate available for the first 180 day s after the account is opened. Must be a new account to get
the bonus rate. Minimum balance required to obtain advertised APY is $10,000. Money Mattel inter
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j*y. x Rate effective as ofOci 14 2007.
iKk Ok —3
DEMONSTRATING NEW EQUIPMENT
Anytime Fitness general manager and trainer Shannon Martin
(left) shows club owner Kevin Wimbs how customers will use
a new hammer strength seated, weighted, abdominal crunch
machine.
Fitness club in our area, a second
franchise is set to open in Jefferson
in January 2008, and others are
also planned for Hoschton, Flowery
Branch, Buford and Winder.
In the meantime, you can’t beat
Braselton’s original for 24-hour
workout convenience unless, of
course, you too win the lottery
and can afford to open the likes of
Anytime Fitness in your own base
ment. But then you would miss out
on the benefits of camaraderie and
that friendly competition for the title
of most improved couch potato.
Fil Jessee lives in Braselton, where
he works as a freelance journalist.
Fie can be reached at filwrites@aol.
com.
To place a classified ad, call 706-367-5233
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