The Story of Fitness Finders®
Fitness Finders® was founded in Spring Arbor, MI over 40 years ago by Dr. Charles and Beth Kuntzleman as part of their lifelong mission to improve the health and fitness of young people. With a relentless passion for wellness and the importance of physical education in schools, Charlie and Beth created a company intent on empowering children to make positive choices.
Mileage Club® is Born
In 1986, the Kuntzlemans created Mileage Club®, an all-inclusive walk/run club program that offers knowledge, support, and tools to easily track students’ mileage, while also motivating and rewarding children for their efforts and success. Today, over 22,000 schools across North America use Mileage Club® to bring activity into their school day. In fact, students logged over 21 million miles in 2016 alone.
Toe Tokens® and Beyond
In 1993, the Toe Token® was introduced, and quickly became America’s best-selling run club incentive. Tens of millions of Toe Tokens® have since been awarded – that’s a lot of miles, and a lot of proud smiles earned! Fitness Finders® knows that Toe Tokens® work when the only way kids can receive them is by working for them. It’s important to us that Fitness Finders® is a sole source provider for Toe Tokens®, and our company policy is to offer them exclusively to leaders who are using Toe Tokens® as part of a run club program. This creates a “Token Economy.” (Read about the effectiveness of Token Economies.)
As the success of Toe Tokens® grew, Fitness Finders® received consistent requests from teachers for more tokens to motivate students in a variety of subjects and areas of life. We responded by creating several programs, along with accompanying tokens: I Love To Read™, Lift-a-Ton™, Challenge Series™, Character Bound™, Pack-a-Snack™, I Don’t Bully™, and Zooper Safari™. Additionally, Fitness Finders® now offers over 400 awards in an array of categories: Active Living, Academic, Encouragement, School Spirit, Advocacy, Character, STEM, the Arts, and more.
Fitness Finders® Growth into Manufacturing
In 2010, Fitness Finders® purchased a facility in Jackson, MI to manufacture all tokens onsite. This enabled us to have more control over the quality of our products and the recycling of waste, as well as minimize the time it takes to fulfill customer orders. Fitness Finders® is proud to say that 99% of our products are American-made.
Bringing Technology to Mileage Club
In 2015, Mileage Club leaped into the future with the introduction of EZ Tally and then EZ Scan. The database and app have made lap counting easier for hundreds of schools by automating the marking, counting, reporting and award functions of Mileage Club. Physical Educators across the country have saved time and met technology-based standards without losing any of the motivational aspects that have made the program famous.
The Legacy Continues
Now in its 2nd generation, Fitness Finders® continues its legacy as a family business: 50+ years in the fields of physical fitness, health, and education. We care about kids, and we care about the teachers, principals, coaches, librarians, health professionals, and youth leaders who are working to have a positive impact on the youth in their communities. We strive to be a resource in innovative motivational techniques and positive reinforcement for youth. That’s why we don’t just sell awards. We offer programs, curricula, resources, and an online community in which youth leaders can share ideas and encourage one another. We invite you to join the Fitness Finders® and Mileage Club® family.
