Kalispell Needs An Affordable Family Health Club

Today, I went to the Summit with my cousins on one of their guest passes. It was fun, I got a workout and went swimming and had a good time and realized how out of shape I was. Which got me considering joining, which I've considered before. Which reminded me why I didn't. I'm sure they picked a name like The Summit to symbolize peak performance, fitness, etc. But it also symbolizes peak pricing. Based on their website, single one-month membership would cost me $88.50. Joining would require a $169 initiation fee *and* $56.50 a month *and* a one-year contract. Yeah right, I can't come close to affording that epic rip-off.

For comparison, I decided to compare that to the price at a similar facility in Missoula - the Missoula Family YMCA. Based on their website, they charge for young adults (my age) a $30 initiation fee and $30 a month with no mention of a contract.

The difference, is, of course, their reason for existence. While both are theoretically non-profit corporations, the YMCA is a charity with a history and reputation for excellence and wanting to improve people's lives, and remains based on Christian values. Northwest Healthcare, not so much. I don't know details, but I do know that the Bible says "You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" - Matt 7:16 (NLT). Looking at the prices not only of The Summit, but of hospital services (bills I've heard from people unfortunate enough to be their patients) and the like, those are not fruits that, to me, appear to belong to people worthy of being called non-profit. I'd love to know exactly how much money the people who run Northwest Healthcare make...

Kalispell needs something like Missoula's YMCA. The benefits to our community would be enormous. And if any of you know any way to negotiate with The Summit on membership prices, that'd be nice. It *was* good for me. Trust me, I'm so tired and sore writing this that I can tell :)

P.S. to anyone who wants to start comparing Missoula YMCA and The Summit to defend the Summit, I'm not saying they're identical facilities. Just that for many they serve a similar purpose and that Kalispell could use a facility like the Missoula YMCA. I'm also not socialist. Turning a profit is good, running a profitable company is good, with their prices I don't understand how on earth Northwest Healthcare remains a non-profit for tax purposes though... unless I totally don't understand the non-profit thing, I kinda thought the whole idea was that you were in it to charge as little as possible and provide a community service.