By JOHN THOMPSON
Business Editor

Ron Gazaway says he is serious about putting the "family" back into Fayette Family Fitness.

Gazaway, who took over operation of the fitness center last year, is starting an innovative program in July.

On weekends, Gazaway will open the center to the children of the center's members. Family Days, in Gazaway's mind, will help promote interaction and quality time with the family.

"That's the biggest problem today is that families are not spending enough time together," he said.

The center will allow the kids to work out with the parents and hopefully have the family looking forward to the weekends as family time.

Another initiative that Gazaway is starting in July to help time-constrained residents is keeping the center open 24 hours a day Monday through Friday.

"We're going to run it through the summer and see what type response we get," he said.

Since taking over the center a little over a year ago, Gazaway has attempted to make the center more user friendly. When he started, the center was regularly signing up between 35 and 40 new members a month.

Today, the club signs up more than 300 new members a month and Gazaway is constantly looking at ways to improve the center.

The center is currently undergoing an extensive facelift, and one of the changes should make some of the women customers very happy.

Gazaway said the aerobics room is being converted into a ladies' workout center that will offer the center's women customers complete privacy during their workout sessions.

Gazaway has been involved in the fitness world since 1972 and prior coming to Fayette operated American Fitness Center. When the company was bought out by Bally's, Gazaway thought the time was right to start his own consulting business, Fitness Management.

Fitness Management is hired by fitness clubs to help run the operations, and Gazaway has helped out several centers from Georgia to Texas.

But Fayette Family is a little different for him. He has bought a house in the area and has just signed a five-year contract to continue managing the center.

Gazaway is happy with the way the center has grown, but is always looking at ways to improve.

"We're really focusing on the family and welcome any comments from our members," he said.

The center is in the Fayette 85 Shopping Center, next to Big Lots.