CWA Blog Archive-The CWA Requests That Congress Provide Stimulus To Climbing Gyms

The CWA Requests That Congress Provide Stimulus To Climbing Gyms

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Written by Garnet Moore on March 25, 2020, this article reports on the CWA's advocacy as the Senate prepared to vote that day on what was likely the first round of stimulus for American businesses and individuals. While the bill included small-business provisions that would help many US climbing gyms, the CWA was encouraging legislators to pay attention to the fitness and recreation industry as a whole, and the climbing gym sector in particular. To that end, the CWA issued an open letter to key members of the US government, communicating the industry's needs and demonstrating the potential impact on the US economy should the nation's climbing gyms suffer a severe financial toll directly caused by COVID-19. The article notes the exact law was still being determined, but identifies one potential area for industry-specific support: the way the Exchange Stabilization Fund can be used to back loans made to certain sectors, with those allotments controlled by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. It stresses that as this resource is put into use, specific industries must make their voices heard to ensure they aren't left out of any upcoming action (the text continues). The throughline is that as the first major federal stimulus took shape, the CWA actively advocated to ensure the climbing gym industry, and the broader fitness and recreation sector, wasn't overlooked, using an open letter to key government officials to press the industry's needs and economic significance. Because the stimulus law was still being determined and its benefits would depend on how provisions and funds like the Exchange Stabilization Fund (controlled by Treasury Secretary Mnuchin) were allocated, the CWA recognized that industries had to proactively make their voices heard or risk being left out. By issuing an open letter demonstrating both what climbing gyms needed and the economic consequences of their potential collapse, the CWA sought to secure industry-specific consideration in the emerging relief. The article both documented this advocacy and implicitly modeled the importance of collective, organized industry engagement with policymakers during the crisis. For gym owners anxious about federal support, the article reassured them that the CWA was fighting on their behalf at the highest levels precisely as critical stimulus decisions were being made, working to ensure climbing gyms received attention and access to the relief that could determine their survival.

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Written by Garnet Moore on March 25, 2020, as the Senate prepared to vote on the first stimulus, this piece reports the CWA's advocacy to ensure climbing gyms and the fitness sector weren't overlooked. The CWA issued an open letter to key officials pressing the industry's needs, flagging the Exchange Stabilization Fund as one avenue for industry-specific support.