Exercise in the Park Over, For Now

Thank you to all the participants who turned out over the past 12-weeks for our pilot Workout Wednesdays exercise sessions in Franklin Park. It was a blast!

WoW began July 10 and came to a celebratory head on September 25. As part of the DowntownDC BID’s year-long 15th Anniversary celebration that began last November, it was also a way to inform visitors, workers and residents about the upcoming plan by the BID, the DC Office of Planning and the National Park Service to renovate the park and active programming there to enliven the public space.

If you missed WoW, stay tuned. The fun just might start again next year, returning in a bigger and better format!

Through the extreme heat and DC humidity, 30 to 70 people turned out weekly to perform a hodgepodge of moves and stretches—from Zumba to BLT (Buns, Legs & Thighs)—led by instructors from Crunch Fitness (555 12th Street). More than 50 exercise enthusiasts turned out for the finale, featuring three Crunch instructors who led an intense All-Star Boot Camp and Freshii (1005 E Street) and City Sports (715 7th Street), our other primary partners.

A special “thank you” to all our partners, including Teaism (400 8th Street), who gave away lots of freebies each Wednesday.

What’s a party without swag? During the finale, the BID beefed up the freebies, including giving away seven Bluetooth speakers and BID lunch bags. But the grand prize went to Amanda Piasecki, the “exercise maven” who attended at least three WoW classes and uploaded a short video about her workout experience to our Facebook page @DowntownDCBID that bested five other contenders. You can find her rap video there. We think it’s SO cute!

Amanda walked away loaded, with:

• A complimentary, one-year Crunch membership
• Catered lunch for her and four friends, courtesy of Freshii
• Tennis shoes and a $100 gift card from City Sports
• A 32GB engraved iPod touch and Bluetooth speaker, courtesy of the BID

To connect to all the fun, check out the photos from the finale.

We hope to see you again next year at Franklin Park, bordered by K Street on the north, 13th Street on the east, I street on the south, and 14th Street on the west!