It was a first for Victoria and the province: a gym designed for people with disabilities, but Move Adaptive Fitness has suddenly found themselves in the red.
“This all stems from a breach of duty from our former treasurer. Taxes were not paid for a number of months, and we did not know,” said Joanne Rogers, founder of Move Adaptive Fitness.
Rogers says the board found out about the negligence when they were told they’d lost their charity status. They owe $125,000 in past due taxes to the CRA, and that’s also just the start of the malpractice.
“It turns out we’re also behind in our rent,” said Rogers.
Rogers says since they lost their charity status, their accountant, aside from giving the gym another accountant’s information, has ghosted them.
“No, we haven’t spoken face to face with her since it all happened,” said Rogers.
Watch the full story below:
More than just a gym
Move Adapted Fitness opened in 2014. Rogers’ son was injured in 2006 and the family had to go to the United States to find gyms aimed at his recovery. Rogers says Move has 1,000 individual visits every month.
The gym is designed for people with disabilities. Every piece of equipment is specialized. They help Charlie Wainman, who is paralyzed from the waist down, get upright.
“When I found this place, I found my home,” said Wainman. “It’s the only affordably priced adaptive gym in Victoria, but probably Canada.”
As a non-profit, the society is able to subsidize monthly rates ($70/month) partially or fully for people on limited incomes or who aren’t covered by insurance.
Hoping its services continue
As a result of the debt it finds itself in, Move was left at the brink of bankruptcy. The organization moved towards closing until their landlord, Neuromotion, stepped in.
“Thank heavens for them,” said Rogers.
As of Aug. 1, Neuromotion will operate the gym. Many of the details of the transition still need to be worked out, like the previously subsidized monthly rates for people on limited incomes or who aren’t covered by insurance.
To keep their doors open, the former charity is now in their biggest donation push ever, forced to fundraise on GoFundMe for $50,000 to cover the cost of applying for bankruptcy, to pay past rent, and for the operating company to buy the equipment.
Move board members, clients and staff are all hoping that the extreme debt they find themselves in won’t stop this vital, one-of-a-kind service..
“A place like this closing loses a lot more than just the members, but it’s losing that community they’ve built with one another, so we don’t want to see that go,” said Ashlen Day, an administrative staff member with Move Adaptive Fitness.
Kori Sidaway
