Oh, boy. I've been a member of Curves for about 5 months. I also do a bootcamp kind of thing.
Curves has been criticized in the media (see links at the end) and in blogs. Turns out some of the information is disputed.
Update
The woman who owns the franchise I go to, Lisa Alter (who is, by the way, Jewish), forwarded this press release to me.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Becky Frusher 254.399.9285 x2502
Mobile: 254.723.3163CURVES FOUNDERS’ MAKE LARGE CHARITABLE DONATIONS – BUT NOT TO RADICAL PRO-LIFE GROUPS
Heavin’s donations traced to organizations that promote
health and wellness for women and their familiesWACO, TEXAS. . . April 30. . .Gary Heavin, CEO and Founder of Curves International, today disputed recent reports in the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News that he and his company donated as much as $5 million to “radical pro-life groups” such as Operation Save America.
“Neither Curves International Inc., nor my wife, nor I gave money to Operation Save America or any other radical pro-life group. The newspapers in question flat out got it wrong”, Heavin said.
Heavin went on to point out that he and his wife support organizations that contribute to the overall health and wellness of women and their families in their local community of Waco, Texas. He specifically mentioned the work of Care Net, the Family Practice Center of McLennan County, and the McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project. These organizations confirmed receiving support from the Heavins.
“We have received a generous pledge for $150,000 annually for five years from the Heavins”, said Care Net Director Cathy Sones. “The Heavin’s donation will help us provide health care services such as pregnancy exams, pap smears, vitamins and a planned adoption agency specifically to women who choose to follow through with an unwanted pregnancy.”
Family Practice spokesperson Allen Patterson said “We are a community healthcare center that provides the primary care to men, women and children of McLennan County. We serve more than half the vulnerable and underserved families in the county, and with the state budget crisis we were going to have to curtail many of those services. Gary and Diane Heavin made the largest donation in our history—$600,000 a year for the next five years to replace the cut in state funding—so that we could continue to meet those needs. Additionally, they donated another $150,000 a year to provide healthcare and health education for women, including wellness exams and pap smears.”
McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project. Director Dianne Hensley stated that her organization advocates and teaches abstinence programs in central Texas area schools. She also confirmed receiving support from the Heavins.
In discussing the possible ramifications of the erroneous reports in the California newspapers, Mr. Heavin said, “I’m confident that once our franchisees and members learn the facts – that we support women’s health groups, not militant pro-life groups – they will understand and support us. I’m just sorry the newspapers’ errors caused confusion.”
In addition to support for local women’s groups, the Heavins have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations like the Shriners Hospitals and recently paid for a new roof on the Natchez Children’s Home in Natchez, Mississippi. During the month of March, Curves facilities across the country collected more than 8 million pounds of food for their local food banks. Over the years, the Heavins have matched thousands of $1000 charity requests from their franchisees, with the money going to local branches of organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the Arthritis Foundation, and the American Heart Association.
The Heavins support education as well. They have created a $2 million college endowment for Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey. And recently, the media has been reporting the results of a Baylor University, 5-year, $5 million dollar medical study funded by the Heavins to conduct research into methods of improving women’s health.
Heavin said, “My wife and I are proud of our efforts to improve the quality of life for women and their families.”
About Curves
Curves offers a 30-minute workout that combines strength training and sustained cardiovascular activity through safe and effective hydraulic resistance. Curves also offers weight management counseling featuring a breakthrough, scientifically proven method to raise metabolic rate and end the need for perpetual dieting. Gary Heavin, Curves’ Founder and CEO, is the author of several books, including The New York Times Best-Sellers “Curves: Permanent Results Without Permanent Dieting” and “Curves On the Go.”With more than 7500 locations and 3 million members worldwide, Curves is the world's largest fitness center franchise. For more information, please visit: www.curvesinternational.com.
Additional Contacts:
Care Net Pregnancy Center: Cathy Sones 254.753.5753
The Family Practice Center: Allen Patterson 254.750.8200
McClennan County Collaborative Abstinence Project: Dianne Hensley 254.399.9728
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what follows is what I originally wrote. It seems somewhat in error now
But now here is a great post from Pound on the background of the Curves founder, how he's using Curves income to fund anti choice stuff, and how hard it is to do the right thing.
This woman says,
Heavin is free to do whatever he wants within the law. It's a free country. But I think that at least some percentage of the 2 million+ female members nationwide would have some opinion on his anti-choice support -- and those members are also free to do whatever they want within the law, including vote with their feet and their dollars
Squoogy told me about it.
The thing is, Curves is so damn convenient, in two ways: one is always nearby; I can go in, work out, and get out without waiting; no classes just go. Also I like the social aspect.
I just did a big ranty post about this too! Must be in the air. Yes, it is hard to do the right thing, and as Pound points out a boycott would mostly hurt the individual franchises, whose owners may or may not agree with Heavin. My year's membership at Curves is up this month, and I am choosing not to renew. However, in the letter I'm sending to the owner of my local franchise I'm explaining precisely that I have absolutely no problems with her or her facility, which is really a decent place, but with Heavin's "matching donation" policy that matches funds raised at franchises with donations to anti-abortion "family clinics." That's what I can do to be ok with myself, and I think it's a reasonable solution.
Posted by: Jen | Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 04:45 PM
Jenex was too modest, she really lays it out for you:
Jenex's quite well-written and temperate essay on the Curves' founder.
Posted by: liz | Wednesday, April 28, 2004 at 05:11 PM
Snopes has a page on this.
Posted by: liz | Thursday, April 29, 2004 at 01:10 PM
I'm having my own moral dilemma about continuing at Curves, but I finally decided to increase what I donate to pro-choice organizations to match the Curves fee, because there's no other women-only non-thong-garden gym that's remotely convenient for me.
Posted by: Melissa | Friday, April 30, 2004 at 08:32 AM
Jon Carroll's article:
Mercury News Article:
Posted by: liz | Tuesday, May 04, 2004 at 01:10 PM
The price of medication is one of the things contributing to the health care crisis in this country.
Posted by: Susan R | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 02:55 AM