Billionaire’s Trump Fundraiser Sparks War Over Fitness Clubs
- As gym users threaten to leave, a competitor steps in
- Town Sports opens for free, pledges to waive initiation fees
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With the SoulCycle and Equinox exercise chains under threat of boycotts -- thanks to plans by billionaire Stephen Ross to host a Trump fundraiser in the Hamptons -- a competitor is making a play for defecting members.
Gyms owned by Town Sports International, including New York Sports Clubs and other outlets on the East Coast, are letting anyone in for free from Friday through Sunday. Users who show proof of cancellation from Equinox or SoulCycle will have their initiation fees waived if they want to change memberships, said Patrick Walsh, Town Sports’ chief executive officer.