Fitness
The fitness industry’s support of Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS is changing lives and making history.
Join us!
Fitness Leaderboard
- Life Fitness – $100,000
- Bay Club – $50,000
- Newtown Athletic Club – $25,000
- Planet Fitness – $10,000
- Crunch Fitness – $10,000
- WellnessSpace Brands – $7,500
- Las Vegas Athletic Club – $5,000
- Fitness Formula Clubs – $5,000
- Fitness World – $5,000
Thank you to our 2024 Confirmed
in-club nationwide fundraisers:
- Life Time
- CR Fitness (Crunch Franchise)
- Fitness Formula Clubs
- Fitness World
- Genesis – The Atlantic Club
- Newtown Athletic Club
- UFC GYM
Partner with Augie’s Quest
90 Min Class
Every 90 Minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS. A 90-minute class with your best content and most popular instructors is a great way to build buzz around your programming and the cause. Took Kit coming in June!
Click here for more info!Augie’s Quest BASH
Join us October 22, 2024, in Las Vegas for the Augie’s Quest BASH, in conjunction with the Fitness Technology Summit. Industry icon Mark Mastrov will receive the Augie Nieto Fitness Legacy Award. This event will bring together leaders of the fitness industry while raising funds for Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS.
Learn MoreTeam Quest4ALS
Life Time Miami Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k on February 2, 2025. Experience all the tropical sights and sounds in Miami and Miami Beach! Email angel@augiesquest.org to learn more.
More info coming soon!Custom In-Club Fundraising
There are unlimited ways to partner with Augie’s Quest. Our team has over 20 years of experience working with the fitness industry. Let us help you create a custom program that benefits your business! Email info@augiesquest.org to learn more
Fitness Advisory Council
ALS steals your muscles, and robs you of everything exercise provides. Because Augie dedicated his career to improving the physical health of others, he was able to recruit fitness industry champions to help work out creative ways to keep focus on conquering ALS.
Mike Alpert is past President of California Clubs of Distinction, and has served on Boards for the Northwest Athletic Club Association and the Medical Wellness Association. He is also past President/CEO of The Claremont Club.
Bryan Andrus is the COO of CLIAwaived, Inc. and US Specialty Labs, where he is striving to bring healthcare and the fitness industry together through PreventTEST®, and he serves as a consultant of SportBrain, 24 Hour Fitness, FitnessFirst, IDEA, Samsung, NIKE/Apple and Seiko/Epson.
CEO and President, Alaska Club
Robert Brewster is the CEO/President of The Alaska Club and the President of Alaska Fitness Equipment. In addition to his work with the Hotel Captain Cook and the Captain Cook Athletic Club, Robert was elected Chairman of the Board for IHRSA in 2014
Robert Brewster is the CEO/President of The Alaska Club and the President of Alaska Fitness Equipment. In addition to his work with the Hotel Captain Cook and the Captain Cook Athletic Club, Robert was elected Chairman of the Board for IHRSA in 2014
Peter Brown and his wife Gretchen have owned the Athletic Business and ABShow for the past 30 years. After graduating from Harvard, Peter began working for Lifecycle in 1980 with Augie Nieto. Being part of the team that transitioned Lifecycle to LifeFitness was a unique and rewarding experience for Peter. In building his businesses, Peter has always summoned the experiences he learned from his early years working at Lifecycle.
Rick Caro is the President of Management Vision, Inc. Providing management expertise to clubs, real estate developers, hospitals, hotels, resorts, and appraisers, Management Vision is widely regarded for its experience with a variety of fitness properties all over the U.S. and other countries.
Former CEO of Life Fitness and past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Sports Fitness Industry Association whose mission is to “Promote Sports and Fitness Participation and Industry Vitality,” as well as the founder of Talon Leadership Consulting.
Chris earned his MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and received his baccalaureate degree from San Diego State University. He also attended Newman University in Wichita, Kansas, where he was an Academic All-American in baseball and is a two-time member of its athletic hall of fame. Before joining the fitness industry, he was a professional athlete, playing for the minor-league organizations of both the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.
Larry Conner, CPA, is the CFOO of REGYMEN Fitness. With 30 years of experience in the fitness industry, he’s dedicated his career to enriching lives through the health club experience. Larry recently served a 4 year term on the IHRSA Board of Directors.
Phyllis Dannin is the VP of Strategic Business Development at Matrix Fitness, the fastest growing premium fitness equipment brand. She successfully managed sales teams and large national accounts during 25+ years at Life Fitness and has applied her expertise to support company growth initiatives at Matrix since 2019
David is the founder/CEO of Pi Capital. As an investor, advisor and board member, David has worked with some of the most successful health companies in world, including Fitness First, 24 Hour Fitness, Zumba Fitness.
Mark has worked with Workout Anytime Franchising Systems, Power Plate International, Walter Thompson Worldwide, Bally Total Fitness, L.A. Gear, NTN/Buzztime and Velocity Sports Performance.
Sean Gagnon is the CEO of The Abs Company based in Lakewood Ranch FL. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida with a Masters Degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology and has worked in several areas of the health and fitness field. He started his career as a personal trainer at Xercise Inc in Chester NJ before making the transition to entrepreneur in 1999. His companies have included health clubs, wellness products, and fitness equipment. Sean holds 42 worldwide patents and trademarks on equipment he’s designed, licensed or acquired. He co-founded the Abs Company in 2007 and has since gown the company to a multinational company doing business in 68 countries around the world. Sean is passionate about giving and gratitude and is always on the lookout for ways to serve and give back. He lives by the pillars of Faith, Family and Fitness!
With over 30 years of experience in operations, sales and marketing, Scott Goudeseune leads the senior management team for ACE and provides vision and direction for the organization’s strategic plans. He is committed to working with policymakers to promote changes that lead to a healthier America and help promote safe and effective physical activity for all.
Dave Hardy is the President of Franvest Capital Partners. His current investments include Orangetheory Fitness, World Health Edmonton, and Fresh Fit Foods. David is actively engaged in the fitness industry through roundtables, trade associations, public speaking, and industry-wide initiatives.
Cher Harris serves as the GM of the Houstonian Club. She has over 25 years of club management experience, providing direction for managers, trainers, instructors, racquet sports professionals, dieticians, locker room staff, accountants, engineers, HR and IT personnel in large fitness facilities around the country. She has a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist.
Ron Hemelgarn has gathered a lifetime of experience, expanding his success in health and fitness for the past 50 years into other industries such as financial, real estate, and franchises. Ron’s strong conviction to live with simplicity, honesty, humbleness, and humor are what he is best known for.
Ron is President and CEO of Club Automation and Daxko. They provide mission-critical management software and integrated payment solutions to member-based health and wellness organizations. Ron also serves as vice chairman of the board of Pikes Peak YMCA. Ron holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Loyola University. Ron and his wife Kristi reside in Denver and have three children.
Gale Landers is Owner and CEO of Fitness Formula. In 1996, he was elected to the IHRSA Board of Directors and served as the IHRSA Board President in the year 1999-2000. In 2003 he was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.
Paul Lunter is the Founder/President of HydroMassage. Paul previously owned a residential and commercial construction company, and also founded Digital Chainsaw / Net Performance, an internet company that was acquired by a Paul Allen owned company.
Bill McBride is the co-founder of Active Sports Clubs, Active Wellness and BMC3. He has served as Chairman of the IHRSA, President of the Mid-Atlantic Club Management Association (MACMA), as well as an advisor to the American Council of Exercise (ACE), Medical Wellness Association (MWA) and Medical Fitness Network (MFN).
John McCarthy served as the founding Executive Director of IHRSA for 25 years. Today, he continues his service as a volunteer at Mass General Hospital and an advisor to Healthtrax & North Castle Partners. John has also been the Chairman of BASH for Augie’s Quest since 2008.
Kevin McHugh is the COO of the Atlantic Club and has served in leadership roles for The Paddington Corporation, Moet-Hennessey and Seagram & Sons, and the Food Bank of Ocean and Monmouth Counties. Kevin is also the COO of the Clubs for the Quest team, helping us raise over 7 million dollars for ALS research.
Linda Mitchell, a fitness industry veteran since 1981, has devoted her entire career to the development and growth of the Newtown Athletic Club, a 275,000 square foot lifestyle complex in bucolic Bucks County, PA. A fine arts dance/education major brought her to the fitness industry initially, eventually mastering marketing, sales, public and government relations along with the management of the NAC Have a Heart Foundation.
Dave Mortensen is co-founder of Anytime Fitness which has been identified as “One of America’s Most Promising Companies,” “Top Global Franchise” and “Fastest-Growing Fitness Club.” Created as an alternative to big-box gyms, Anytime Fitness offers smaller, neighborhood clubs that prioritize cost and convenience.
Paula recently joined The Bay Club Company as the SVP of Corporate Operations. She served as President/GM of Club Greenwood from 2003 until 2023, and has been in the fitness industry since 1985. Working in various capacities from group fitness instructor to business developer and strategic planner, she built numerous facilities including medically based fitness centers, Pilates studios, and a health and fitness center designed solely for kids.
Al Noshirvani is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at ALTA Technology Group, a management consulting firm focused on the HALO (health, active lifestyle and outdoors) industry. Prior to launching ALTA, Al was the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Motionsoft Inc from which he successfully exited.
In 2010, Al was named by the Washington Business Journal as a member of the 40 under 40 which recognizes the Greater Washington region's brightest young business leaders based on demonstrated business success. In 2014, under Al's leadership, Motionsoft was recognized as the IHRSA Associate Member of the Year. Al is also the founder of the Fitness Technology Summit an annual, invitation-only event where marketing, operations, and technology executives gather for 3 days of networking, education sessions, and insightful panel discussions. He serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence with Integrity Square, a boutique Investment Bank where he focus’ on Fitech and SaaS applications practice. Al is also the owner of a chain of health clubs in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area called Method Gyms.
Previously, Al was a founder and Executive VP of Sales for a medical software imaging company which he successfully exited from. He holds a BA and MBA. He is an avid tennis player.
Ray O’Connor is a co-founder and the CEO of the Wisconsin Athletic Club, LLC: the largest and most respected privately-owned athletic club in Wisconsin. The WAC has three main business units: eight multi-purpose athletic clubs, WorkingWell corporate wellness, and real estate development for their clubs and medical office buildings for affiliated partners. Ray served on the board of IHRSA from 2015-2019.
Andy Richters was a college soccer player and coach with Master’s degree in Sports Medicine, when a near fatal car/pedestrian accident changed his life. With a career spanning over 30 years, his leadership earned him a role at Star Trac, followed by Matrix Fitness, and now back home for the last two years with CORE Health and Fitness’ house of brands (StairMaster, Nautilus, Schwinn, StarTrac, Throwdown, and Wexer).
Petra Robinson is the former VP of AFAA , EVP of Healthclub.com and VP of Zumba. Using her creative talents and industry contacts, she has earned a reputation for being an industry leader capable of taking concepts and turning them into well-known brands, such as Zumba, Piloxing, and Get RIPPED!
Todd brings 37 years of industry experience, including 25 years as a VP for both Bally’s Health and Tennis Corporation and 24 Hour Fitness before joining LVAC in 2006. He holds a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Utah and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
As the President and CEO of The Bay Club, Matthew Stevens oversees the $200 million business and its portfolio of 25+ clubs and sports resorts. His leadership resulted in the creation of various new products and the acquisition of more than 15 properties.
Emmett Williams is a native Australian who has had the rare experience of being both an operator and a vendor in the commercial fitness industry, whilst also working extensively in 3 different regions of the world. Having built and owned a chain gyms on one side of the ledger, to having owned and grown the international sales & marketing company CFM International on the other side of the ledger, Emmett now allocates most of his time towards being President and Partner in the wearable technology company, Myzone. Emmett was recently awarded entry onto Fitness Australia’s prestigious ‘Roll of Honor’ for his excellence in leadership, whilst also accepting IHRSA’s ‘Ass...
Jeff VanDixhorn is entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. He started as a club owner/operator building a club business in IL, IN and WI and still owns clubs in IL and WI. In 2007 Jeff founded Club Automation, a sophisticated club management system used by facilities across the US and Canada. Club Automation joined the Daxko family of brands in 2018 and Jeff served as Chief Revenue Officer at Daxko until 2023. Jeff currently serves on the board for Daxko, oversees his club business and is launching a new venture, Pickle Haus.
Chad serves as Crunch’s Executive Vice President of Marketing and Branding
and leads the brand’s marketing and communications efforts for all locations globally, focusing on strategically growing the company’s brand presence and member base while driving marketing innovation and brand loyalty. Previously, Chad served as Chief Marketing Officer for Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas; Executive Marketing Advisor of Blink Fitness; Vice President
of Global Marketing Strategy & Planning
for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Vice President, Global Marketing for Disneyland Resort; Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts for Starwood Hotels & Resorts; and Senior Vice President Brand Management for Marriott International.
and leads the brand’s marketing and communications efforts for all locations globally, focusing on strategically growing the company’s brand presence and member base while driving marketing innovation and brand loyalty. Previously, Chad served as Chief Marketing Officer for Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas; Executive Marketing Advisor of Blink Fitness; Vice President
of Global Marketing Strategy & Planning
for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Vice President, Global Marketing for Disneyland Resort; Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts for Starwood Hotels & Resorts; and Senior Vice President Brand Management for Marriott International.
Augie’s Quest Fitness Industry ICONS
A salute to Fitness Icons who, during their lifetime, have made outstanding contributions to the significance of the Industry, and like our founder and inspiration, Augie Nieto, have impacted the Quest for a Cure through their leadership and support.
Orangetheory’s partnership with Augie’s Quest marks the largest and most concerted effort to advance promising ALS treatments. Over 1,000 studio franchisees participated to raise over $10 million for Augie’s Quest in 3 years.
Bahram Akradi supported Augie's Quest from year one, and was key to pushing our research agenda forward, and supporting it finacially. Life Time will coordinate their first campagin in all clubs in September of 2024.
Matthew Stevens has been a longtime supporter of Augie's Quest. From in-club fundraisers, underwriting sponsorships, and donating some of our largest premier auction itmes over the years, the Bay Club team has helped raise significant funds for ALS research.
Jim Worthington and the Have a Heart Foundation, with the support of the NAC team and Linda Mitchell,have raised over $xxx for Augie's Quest in honor of member Matt Bellina. Their advocacy work resulted in passing the "Right to Try" bill in Congress.
John McCarthy served as the Chairman of the BASH and was key to engaging IHRSA and fitness companies to support our Quest to find a Cure.
Orangetheory’s partnership with Augie’s Quest marks the largest and most concerted effort to advance promising ALS treatments. Over 1,000 studio franchisees participated to raise over $10 million for Augie’s Quest in 3 years.
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Gale was an early custome of Augie's at Life Fitness, and has supported his Quest since the beginning through in-club Fitness Formula Club Fundraisers including the Windy City SweatOut, and more.
