BY LOUISE JANECKY
Los Alamos School of Gymnastics

As my 44 years in the town of Los Alamos comes to a close, I would like to thank all of the gymnasts (from 2 years old to 52 years old) and their families for all that they have given me. Thank you for entrusting your children to me, thank you for sharing your lives with me, thank you for helping me make my dream come true. I learned and grew with you and your children for four decades and 3 generations (for some families). I had so much fun sharing life with you. Thank you to all of the volunteers who made this member owned business work. We did it together. It is a model that rarely works in today’s world.  

Please know that though the gym has closed its doors, a couple of dedicated board members, former staff, volunteers and I are still working hard to sell all of the equipment and the building. The proceeds, after all outstanding debts are paid off, will go into an endowed scholarship fund. This has not been an easy task, but will continue and terminate with dissolution of the 501c3. We are talking with a couple of interested parties about the future of the building. One option we are pursuing is selling it to Los Alamos County in hopes that the community will have a multipurpose gymnasium. 

I would also like to thank all of the other family, staff, friends, businesses, and organizations with whom I was involved in my 44 years in Los Alamos. For it truly does “take a village” to raise a child, and I raised two of my own there, besides helping to raise all of yours. Gregg and Grant are wonderful, successful, responsible young men in their thirties now, and as they both taught at the gym, many of you remember them.

I could never remember to thank everyone, there was a cast of thousands.But besides gymnastics staff and families, there were teachers, peers, and parents both in the public schools, clubs, organizations, sports, music, drama, and church that played a role. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And last, but certainly not least, Thank you for decades of volunteer service and support in any capacity needed, to my husband Dave, and my children, Gregg and Grant.