Red Lerille, owner of Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club in Lafayette, LA, will receive the Club Industry 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Club Industry show Oct. 13, 2011, in Chicago.
“We’re excited to honor Mr. Lerille this year with our award,” says Pamela Kufahl, editor of Club Industry. “He’s had a huge impact on the health of people in Lafayette, and in becoming a successful club operator, he maintains a personal touch with his members. He can be found many mornings at the front door greeting members as they walk in.”
The 4,000-square-foot club that Lerille, a former Mr. America and Mr. Universe, opened in 1963 is now eclipsed by his current 185,000-square-foot club. The club sits on 20 acres and has a children’s water park, a pro shop, a health food store, racquetball and tennis courts, indoor and outdoor jogging tracks, and a Pilates studio, as well as cardio and strength equipment. His membership is about 8,000, and he counts about 12 percent of the overall Lafayette population as members of his club.
One of Lerille’s mentors was Joe Gold, founder of Gold’s Gym and World Gym. Gold also was a previous Club Industry Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Lerille learned the club business while working for Gold at Gold’s Ajax gym in New Orleans, prior to the launch of Gold’s Gym.
“This fitness industry is full of club veterans who deserve to be recognized for the work they put in to developing this business,” Kufahl says. “We’re pleased to be able to offer them this recognition with our award, the exposure at our conference and the profile we’ll be writing about him.”
The Club Industry show runs Oct. 12-14, 2011, at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.