Our thoughts & prayers go out to all of those who lost family & friends to this horrible pandemic.  Our deepest gratitude as well goes to those on the Front Lines - Hospital Employees, Police, Fire, Rescue Workers, Truckers,  Grocery Store Employees... and the many 'essential' workers as well.

     However what we are doing right now is NOT Healthy!  It's not healthy for our students, our staff, our families, our economy, our Nation.  It is not healthy for our Students & Athletes mentally or physically.  It is not healthy for them to not be active, jumping, playing, running, climbing and socializing with other peers.  

    We at Erie Gymnastics truly believe that we can accomplish both minimizing the spread of COVID AND returning our athletes back to the gym.  Our staff has met and discussed methods for more sanitation, social distancing, more education to out students, and other preventative measures.

    A vast majority of EGC Parents (85+%) are in FAVOR of reopening Erie Gymnastics.  A vast majority 'Trust' that we will take common sense precautions & measure to keep our students safe & healthy.

HOWEVER:  Gov. Wolf has made a truly unfair 'blanket' statement and arbitrarily forced us & other businesses / schools / sports to continue to remain closed.  As a great example: Our Westwood Tennis Facility is closed.  What sport could be more 'socially distant' that Tennis?  Two people 75 ft. apart with a net in the middle.  But because 'they' and 'other sports like us fall into some 'arbitrary group' in PA, Gov. Wolf will NOT EVEN CONSIDER our plea.

   A letter (petition) below was written by our PA-USA Gymnastics State Chairmen on behalf of over 100 gymnastics clubs in PA and sent to the Governor for consideration.  This letter represents over 100 Clubs, 6,000 registered PA Competitive Gymnasts, tens of thousands of 'Recreational Gymnasts' and tens of thousands of flustered parents.

   As to date:  The letter has been ignored.

   The picture posted to this frame is of a Reopen PA Protest in Harrisburg.  It depicts thousands of frustrated small business owners who want to do what's right ~ but also want to / NEED to open up to feed their own families. 

    There are numerous additional problems with the current Wolf plan.  Other that what 'they' consider as essential businesses, the Wolf Administration approved over 6,100 businesses to open across the state.  Some of these are 'legit' & should be open due to the nature of their business and products.  However there are also many 'hidden' throughout this list that appear to be 'political favors'.  Of this list of 6,000 companies there are Diners,  Private Schools, Day Spas....  https://dced.pa.gov/covid-19-exempt-businesses/   If you scroll through this, this in NOT just a list of businesses that were allowed to reopen.  What is sad is to look at the list of petitions that have been denied.  This lists they by county.  In going thru that list there have been thousands who've been denied.  (Likely 'thousands more - like us - who didn't even apply).  However in going thru just Erie County, you will know many of these Small Businesses.  Many are crying to reopen.  I think you will also agree that many on this list are fairly essential, or provide products similar to those sold at Walmart and 'big businesses'.

   We URGE you to call, email, zoom...  Governor Wolf to accept our petition.  We also urge you to contact your local State Representative and apply some pressure to their offices.    I assure you I have.  What has been extremely frustrating to me is that when calling - I get no answer.  When sending emails, I get no replies, not even automated "Thanks for your input!"

 https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/county_list.cfm?CNTYLIST=ERIE