How One Community Built Their Box From the Ground Up

Some background.

When Trevor and Bethany Exline, owners of BCF CrossFit in Banks, OR were faced with a rising rent but did not want to have to raise fees for their members, they took an alternate route. They bought their own land and built their own dang gym.

Well that’s one way to do it.

August 25th they took ownership of their new location and set to work right away. Trevor worked every day with members coming and going to help as they could.

The property needed to be leveled and there was plenty of clean up and landscaping to be done. Every day it was something, and every day a list was put up of what the next day’s construction tasks were; members that were able to help, did. Woodworkers, framers, plumbers, kids with hammers, people carrying lumber, there was a task for anyone.

Talk about community spirit.

“The new place is beautiful. What’s best is the true spirit of CrossFit community was shown,” said member Rachel Barters. Everything came from the community, even the wood used for baseboards and doors came from the owners home property. Trevor felled the trees and cut them to length himself. Members helped him cut them to size at the new gym and helped to install them.

Moving day was October 20th and, you guessed it, gym members all pitched in to move and install the gym equipment. Even members from CrossFit Cimmeria in Gresham, OR came to help. Yep, even other boxes pitched in.

That’s like, community building for time.

The first day of classes in the new gym was Monday, October 22nd. With all that help, the whole thing took only two months.