Sam’s Club and SCORE, a national organization of small business mentors were the sponsors of the American Small Business Championship, which offered a grand prize of $25,000. Ninja Park Obstacle and Fitness Training Gym has been named the grand prize winner. Ninja Park provides clients of all ages and fitness levels with classes, parties, and training sessions that build strength, self-confidence, and perseverance skills.
American Small Business Championship
Ninja Park was one of nearly 400 small businesses that entered the American Small Business Championship from around the nation by identifying what dream they could achieve by winning. One hundred and three finalists from 48 states were provided with a $1,000 Sam’s Club gift card, SCORE mentoring, publicity, and networking opportunities, before a panel of judges selected Ninja Park as Grand Champion. The family-owned obstacle training facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, intends to use the grand prize money for the continued development of its program for children with autism.
Garrett Takach founded Ninja Park in 2014 when he was just 18 years old. His close relationship with his younger brother, who has autism, instilled a dream of helping autistic children learn to overcome obstacles in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. “Our hope is that the lessons learned in our gym can be taken home and utilized when facing everyday life challenges,†says Takach. “Winning this Championship will give us the opportunity to buy special needs equipment, expand our children’s obstacle and party area, and offer more times to accommodate greater numbers of clients.â€
Score and Sam’s Club Partnership
“When Sam’s Club agreed to partner with us to create the American Small Business Championship, I never imagined we would have so many well-qualified small businesses engage in the program,†notes David R. Bobbitt, president of the SCORE Foundation.
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 10 million aspiring entrepreneurs to start and grow their small businesses. Each year, SCORE’s 10,000+ volunteer business experts provide 350,000+ free and low-cost small business mentoring services, workshops, and education to clients. In 2015, SCORE mentors in 300 chapters volunteered 2.2+ million hours to help create over 45,000 jobs and 55,000 small businesses.
“Serving small business owners is part of our DNA at Sam’s Club, and we consider it a privilege to serve more than 600,000 small business owners per week,†adds Tracey D. Brown, senior vice president and chief member officer for Sam’s Club. “We are constantly looking for ways to support small businesses beyond our club walls by connecting our members to training and resources they need to help grow their businesses.â€
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