Tri-Star Closed Until Further Notice

 

 

Dear Tri-Star Family,

Over the past few weeks, we have been overwhelmed by many of you who have given us encouragement and support. It is because of all of you that we have confidence that our community will come through this crisis even stronger than before.

 

It is with great sadness that we update you on the status of the gym. I’m sure you will not be surprised to hear that we will not be able to reopen on Monday 3/30 as we had originally hoped. Not only are we still under a shelter-in-place order, but it is obvious that holding classes would not be in the best interest of our students, families, staff, or the public health at this time. Unfortunately, we suspect that things may get worse before they get better and right now we are not sure when we will be able to get back up and running.

 

As I’m sure you can imagine, this is devastating. Tri-Star has been our passion for nearly 35 years. Hard work, sweat, and tears have built Tri-Star from a tiny space in the basement of a park district building into what it is today. As one of the only nonprofit gyms in the country, we have dedicated our lives to teaching kids more than just gymnastics skills, but life skills. Without students in the gym, our very purpose is missing.

 

And obviously, without students, we are threatened with the possibility that there may not be a Tri-Star to come back to when this is all over. We have done our best to cut expenses to the bone (it is currently 52 degrees in the gym, for example), but some expenses (like rent) are just unavoidable. If we have to stay closed for an extended period of time, we may have to close permanently.

 

To survive this crisis, we are just simply and humbly asking for your patience. We are committed to the gym and to each of you and we will do what it takes to get Tri-Star back open and thriving when this is all over.

 

In the meantime, students who registered for the spring session will be issued a class credit for the remaining 11 weeks of the session. This credit has no expiration date. If we reopen in May or June, that credit can be applied towards whatever is left of the session. If not, it can be saved for the summer session or beyond. We will honor it indefinitely. Unfortunately, the Annual Gym Show is officially cancelled. We will issue full refunds for Gym Show registration to everyone who already paid.

 

For those of you who are looking to help us in these desperate times, simply OPT OUT of the class credit and donate your spring tuition to Tri-Star. Since we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, you can even write off this expense on your taxes. You can email us at tristarforestpark@gmail.com with the subject: “OPT OUT” and just let us know if you would like to donate all or just part of your tuition credit to helping us. You can also donate directly here.

 

In exchange for your support, we are preparing to begin TRI-STAR ONLINE. This will include video classes, games, activities, challenges, and resources to help our kids maintain their skills, strength, and flexibility during this time off. While pre-recorded video classes in your home will never be the same as a real class at Tri-Star, we are working hard to create fresh and exciting content that can be done safely in your living room or backyard. There will also be some Facebook/Instagram Live activities for kids and parents alike. Watch your emails and our social media accounts for additional information. While we hope that you are willing to support this effort financially (so that we can pay our hardworking staff to create it), this content will be available to all current Tri-Star students, whether you OPT OUT of the class credit or not.

 

If you are not already a fan of us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram, make sure you follow our pages for the most updated information

These are unprecedented times and there is so much uncertainty about what will happen next. But there are 2 things we know:

  1. This too shall pass
  2. No matter what, we remain a Tri-Star Family

Thank you in advance for your continued support. We love all of you and miss your faces. Stay healthy and keep your spirits up!

 

Live Long & Prosper!

The Tri-Star Board

Filed under: by Kiona Allen
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