KEALAKEKUA — The Club celebrated 38 years on Saturday with the grand opening of its newest fitness location at the Kealakekua Ranch Center, and the occasion was every bit as meaningful as the milestone deserved.
For Jeff Lee, the owner and president of The Club, those nearly four decades have never really been about the square footage, the equipment, or even the business itself. It’s been about something far more enduring: the Big Island community, the culture of old 91直播, and the blending spirit of aloha and ohana that threads through everything on this island.
“It’s really about being a part of this community, and I really think it’s really beyond the business,” Lee said. “I believe the business-side of things work when you do the right thing and when you are passionate about it. I also think the culture of 91直播 and the inclusion as in, Aloha, one breath and all one, I think that’s what keeps it exciting. If you believe in that and do it right, then business is good.”
Lee said he was 29 years old when The Club opened in 1988 as he and his ex-wife, Marlina, searched for a way to provide financial stability for their family in a local economy that offered little beyond hotels, fishing, farming, and tourism. With vision and determination, they secured the space in the old Foodland building at what is now the Kona Center, and transformed half of that vacated retail space into something the west side of the Big Island had never quite seen before.
Lee explained that the stakes were deeply personal from the start. Funded by the pooled resources of family and grandparent’s savings, which was the way for many local families, there was no safety net and no room for failure. But from the very beginning, Lee’s sense of responsibility stretched far beyond his own household.
Raised in the traditions of old 91直播, where ohana was never limited to blood relations, he understood instinctively that true success meant lifting those around you. As Lee explained, the mission of The Club was never simply to run a gym, it was to be a contribution to something bigger. Staff were family. Members were family. The community was family. That philosophy, rooted deeply in the culture of Aloha and Ha, the 91直播an word for “breath,” or “essence of life,” has been the heartbeat of The Club for all 38 years, and it beat just as strongly on Saturday in Kealakekua.
After moving to the current successful location on Kopiko street off Palani Road in 1995, expansion had long been on Lee’s mind, but he refused to settle. For years, he searched up and down the highway, from South Point to Kona, hunting for a space that was big enough, had the right parking, and came with the kind of landlord relationship that could support a business built on community values. Those three ingredients, Lee believes, are what make or break a venture like this. He found all three at Kealakekua Ranch Center, where the ownership didn’t just offer a lease, they became partners in the vision.
The new facility located at the Kealakekua Ranch Center is an impressive 7,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness space that raises the bar for what local gym-goers can expect on the west side of the Big Island. Premium weightlifting machines, a dedicated Olympic lifting station, and a functional training area complete with turf and sled pulls give athletes of every discipline exactly what they need to chase their goals.
For those fitting a workout into a busy commute, on-site showers and changing rooms make it practically seamless. And when the training is done, members can unwind and relax in the sauna. A spacious group fitness room, powered by Les Mills virtual classes, rounds out a space with a design that is sleek, yet somehow it still carries the warmth that has always been The Club’s signature.
That warmth was on full display Saturday, and it started with a deeply moving moment that set the tone for the entire celebration. Daniel Akaka Jr. and his wife, Anna, performed a traditional 91直播an blessing over the new space. The Club Kealakekua is a place where people will come to better themselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and it deserved to be welcomed into the community accordingly.
For Wendy Laros, president and CEO of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce and who has lived in the community for 35 years, said the first thing she did when she moved to Kona was joined The Club.
“This is a really special day,” Laros said. “The Club here in Kealakekua is something that will not only help the members that come here to become strong and resilient, but it’s for the community and that’s where Jeff and the team at The Club have always focused on community ever since the beginning. As a member of The Club for over three decades, I know this to be true.”
Another longtime member of The Club, Merrick Nishimoto, who has been the Deputy Managing Director for the County of 91直播 since December 2024, couldn’t contain his excitement for The Club’s newest location.
“This is an awesome celebration today with the opening of the Kealakekua branch of The Club,” Nishimoto said. “I want to emphasize that Jeff has three different families that he cares for. First is his blood ohana, next is his staff by providing them a safe place to be and serve the community, and his third ohana is the community by providing them a safe place to gather. I just want Jeff to realize the impact he is doing for the greater Kona community. Not only do I want to make sure that Jeff is acknowledged, but I also want to thank the community because everyone is helping each other.”
Nishimoto shared how The Club will continue to be a part of his personal journey as well.
“I’ve been a member of The Club’s Kailua-Kona branch for a long time, but now since the Kealakekua branch is open, I’ll be coming here on weekends. And if this place can be anywhere near what his Kailua-Kona branch is, then it’s going to be amazing! His staff at the Kailua-Branch is first-class and treats everyone well. Even if it’s a gym and you are going to work out, when you walk in, you feel a sense of relief and comfort. Once people come to this new location, I know a lot of people will join The Club right away!”
Lee said none of this would be happening if he didn’t have a supportive team along with the vice president of The Club, Roxie Zendejahs, who has been a part of his team for the past ten years.
“Roxie has been a big part of this for the last ten years and she is my vice president,” Lee said. “We hired her as a personal training director and now for corporate, it’s Roxie and I that do this together.”
For 38 years, Lee continues his vision to create a gathering place that goes beyond fitness. Saturday was just The Club’s latest chapter and judging by the energy in that gleaming new space, it may be one of the best ones yet.
The Club Kealakekua is now open at Kealakekua Ranch Center. For information about memberships or employment contact 980-1371, or visit https://theclubkona.com/club-kealakekua/
