The National Health & Fitness Alliance (NHFA) still needs volunteers to advocate for the fitness industry in 200 Congressional districts as part of its Project 435 initiative, according to The Atlantic Club COO Kevin McHugh.
The NHFA non-partisan initiative was undertaken to recruit 435 people—one located in each of the 435 Congressional districts in the United States—to be a political advocate for the fitness industry.
McHugh and NHFA board member and administrator Tom Richards are leading the recruitment effort as part of their roles with NHFA, which is a group organized by IHRSA.
So far, 300 people have volunteered to help, covering 200 Congressional districts, as some districts have more than one volunteer. The group needs enough volunteers by its goal of June 1 to cover the other 200 districts.
The map above shows which states are still in need of advocates.
The NHFA will send to the advocates communication promoting that exercise is essential and is a critical part of the healthcare continuum. The volunteers then are asked to personalize the communication for their representative and send that to their rep and that rep’s chief of staff. The local touch is necessary because members of Congress respond best to communication from their own constituents, according to McHugh.
Anyone in the fitness industry is invited to participate whether or not they are members of IHRSA, which is the trade association for commercial clubs. Volunteers can come from commercial clubs, studios, medical wellness centers, YMCAs, Jewish Community Centers, university rec centers, parks and rec facilities, suppliers and other groups.
The NHFA is working with the California Fitness Alliance, the New York Fitness Alliance, IDEA, ACE, SFIA and several large fitness chains to find volunteers, McHugh said.
“We need independent operators also throughout all areas of the country who just need to be passionate fitness professionals,” he said.
To apply to be an advocate for your district, click here.
For questions, email McHugh at [email protected].