From day one our motto has been “people before profit”. This sentiment is at the core of the following announcement.
After careful consideration, with all school districts in our area closing until March 30th and Governor Wolf’s recommendation to avoid public gyms and gatherings we’ve made the very difficult decision to close the gym.
After looking at the best available evidence from health professional and consulting with coaches and family, we’ve decided to temporarily cancel all classes at GRACIE NEPA HQ effective as of Sunday, March 15th with plans to re-open on Monday, March 30, but this is also subject to change, dependent on further developments of COVID-19. We will make the decision after a tenday when new information becomes available.
Please understand, the decision to close the doors at has not come easily; I have done jiu-jitsu every day of my life for the past 20 years and let’s face it there is no unemployment compensation for a jiu-jitsu instructor. 😂However, we are going through with this decision to play our part in impeding the spread of the coronavirus.
The best available information has shown that preventative actions and closures have had the best results so far in hindering the spread of COVID-19.
As jiu jitsu involves close contact engagement with multiple partners, it’s an exceptional risk to allow classes to continue at this time. For the safety of our members, coaches, friends, and families we’ve made the hard decision to cancel all classes temporarily.
TO BE CLEAR: We have had zero cases of coronavirus in our academy. And we’re determined to keep it that way.
What does this mean for you, as a member of Gracie NEPA?
You are within your right to freeze your membership during the closure to avoid spending money on a service you’re not receiving. I would ask that you reconsider that reaction. The problem is it will be a logistical nightmare for me to cancel 200 memberships only to reactivate them again in a short time. Beyond the logistics of computer work you of course want a gym to return turn as things begin to return to normal once the outbreak levels out. With or without members, the gym will need to pay bills, and if everyone freezes their account for a whole month, it could have disastrous effects on the academy.
We want to guarantee we do everything in our power to cut back your risk of exposure to COVID-19, but we also want to ensure we’re still providing value to you as a valued member of our Gracie NEPA community. To ensure you’re still able to develop your jiu jitsu skills during the projected closure we will be posting virtual lessons every day on our GRACIE NEPA Fanpage as well as bonus material in the Coaches Cronies and Gracie NEPA Parents group respectively. We will also make videos available via your Kicksite accounts.
In addition when we reopen the doors we will conduct a number of FREE workshops to compensate and thank you for your support and patience in these trying times.
Again, this was a painful decision to make, but not as painful as it would be to see this disease spread at an alarming rate. We’re convinced that taking these precautions will give the health system the best chance in the case of an outbreak in our area.
Thanks for understanding, Coach Jeff
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