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Ankeny gym owner gets heartwarming surprise

With the lack of business during the COVID-19 pandemic, one Ankeny gym was close to going under. But the gym's patrons helped out in a huge way just in time.

ANKENY, Iowa — There's no shortage of generosity in this pandemic.

Seventy-seven of Iowa's 99 counties are starting to reopen, but some businesses unfortunately didn't make it through the pandemic.  That would have been the case for one gym in Ankeny, had it not been for several good Samaritans.

Amber Cahill owns TGR Fitness, a gym geared toward women's health and fitness, from traditional high intensity interval trainig, to even aerial and lyra work.

Because of the lack of business during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cahill had fallen a couple months behind on rent and would lose the gym if the pandemic kept up for much longer.

 But the gym members at TGR Fitness, or "TiGeRs", as they call themselves, weren't about to let their favorite gym fall to COVID-19. Especially, because they say Amber, the owner, is such a caring individual.

"[Amber] is selfless, gives up everything that she can in order to keep this gym afloat," said Megan Assenmacher, who is an aerial instructor at TGR. 

Assenmacher travels to Ankeny from Marshalltown for not only her job, but the friendships at TGR.  

"I would say this is the place that I can’t wait to come to," she said.

Assenmacher and instructor Sarah Molenburg both said they couldn't think of a future without TGR.

"I had a gym member called me in tears terrified that TGR was no longer going to exist when this was all done," said Molenburg.

Molenburg, who has been an instructor at the gym for nine of its ten years, started a secret Facebook group where members and friends helped raise more than $8,000 in less than four days.

Molenburg surprised Cahill with $3,000 in cash Thursday, to pay for May's rent. Then, on Saturday--as nearly 30 gym members parked in the gym's parking lot, staying inside their cars to remain "socially distant"--a small group of instructors presented Cahill with the remaining $5,175...all while standing 6 feet apart, and all nearly in tears.

Cahill says she's amazed with all the help, especially since she's never been the best at asking for it.

"Small business owners know how to get up every day and work way more hours than you ever planned on working, so we're not used to saying 'hey, I need help,'" Cahill said.  "We're used to helping, so I'm just overwhelmed by how great these people are."

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