SOLEDAD — Benefit Fitness celebrated the kick-off of its 20th year of business on June 28, featuring a fundraiser for South County Animal Rescue (SCAR) that was held in the back parking lot of the gym’s location on Alder Street in Soledad.
Gym owner April Liedtke said the fundraiser was part of the gym’s community-centered goals, as she began raising money for multiple organizations two years ago, with the gym’s rebranding to Benefit Fitness.
“My intention is to benefit our members by having a great facility to work out in, have a great experience here and to be blessed by giving back to our community,” Liedtke said.
During the first year with a fundraising focus, Liedtke said they helped nine different organizations raise between $200 and $1,500 each. She narrowed down to five organizations this year to have a larger impact.
SCAR was chosen as the organization for the kick-off celebration because Liedtke said animals are special to her. She has three dogs and four cats, one of which was adopted from SCAR.
Two puppies, named Phineas and Ferb, were at the fundraiser, wagging their tails and getting petted by visitors. They were up for adoption from a litter of eight, which had been dumped near the prison.
Zeke Reyes, owner of the Soledad Grocery Outlet location, was the barbecue cook for the tri-tip sandwiches on sale as the fundraiser. Liedtke said she has worked with Reyes in the past for a charity fundraiser.
The business began as a women’s fitness facility when Liedtke bought it in 2006. She changed the name to Circuit Family Fitness a year and a half later and welcomed their first male client, who Liedtke said is still with the gym.
Over the years, the gym changed locations to a building on the south side of town, and then expanded as neighboring spots in the building became available. Liedtke said she brought in more weights as well as strength and cardio equipment over the years.
The gym currently has an infrared sauna with hydromassage bed and foot massagers. They also have an aerobics room and yoga classes. Liedtke said she teaches yoga at the Family Resource Center and at Greenfield schools, and credits it with reversing the limitations in shoulder movement and pain she once had.
Liedtke said meeting the needs of the community is paramount to her. One of those is accessibility for the workers in the Salinas Valley.
“We started our 24-hour access over 15 years ago with hopes to help people that work crazy shifts, like at the prisons, to be able to workout whenever it worked best for them,” Liedtke said.
Flexible contracts and membership plans are another way she meets area needs.
“We have a lot of farm laborers who go back and forth to Yuma,” Liedtke said.
She explained that having month-to-month plans that can be frozen until they come back has helped with those clients.
Looking toward the future, Liedtke said she would like to open more locations in other small communities. Having grown up in the San Jose area, she said she knew the difference feeling like a speck in a big city to having people say hello while shopping in a small town.
“Everyone in this community has a huge heart,” Liedtke said.
Before she opens a new location, she said she wants to have a system and structure in place.
“I want to make sure I hire people that love people,” Liedtke said. “I want a good relationship with my members and I want everybody to know that they’re important.”
