Planet Fitness has a deal for bored teenages this summer: a free gym membership.
The fitness chain is offering a summer program for teens at all of its Southern California locations.
Students ages 14 to 19 can work out for free once school is out. The High School Summer Pass program opened pre-registration, which will require a parent if the teens are under age 18. Gym access runs from June 1 through Aug. 31.
After teens are registered using the Planet Fitness app, they can head to the gym in the program window, no parent necessary.
The company says the program, coming into its fifth year, is worth an estimated $200 million nationwide in free memberships.
Read all about the summer pass program at planetfitness.com/summerpass
Moncler opens larger shop at SCP
Moncler has reopened a larger boutique at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
The French fashion brand now based in Italy was founded in 1952 and features luxury clothing and accessories.
The store is next to Harry Winston at the Jewel Court.
Charter flights for people, pets debuts in LA
There’s a new charter airline aimed at people and their pets.
The Texas-based RetrievAir helmed by founder and CEO Benton Miller launched last week with flights departing from nine metros that include Van Nuys in Los Angeles County, New York (Farmingdale), Denver (Centennial), Dallas (Arlington), Chicago (Waukegan), Carmel (Monterey), Fort Lauderdale, Salt Lake City, and Tampa.
Pets and their people fly in smaller, 30-seat jets. Dogs of all sizes get their own seats, too. No crates for Fido on these routes.
Flights depart from executive airports rather than the bigger national and international hubs, helping pet owners skip the general chaos of commercial terminals.
Tickets are priced based on the route. The company said last week that its website is updating with improved ticketing details.
A quick search of routes on May 29 from Van Nuys to New York and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., showed a wide range in prices, from $1,199 to $3,296 for a one-way flight with two stops en route to the destination.
For more information on the service, go to retrievair.com
On the move
Brenda Wong is the incoming chief medical adviser at CureDuchenne, effective Jan. 5, 2026. The neuromuscular medicine and clinical research doctor has spent much of her career caring for patients living with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. Previously, Wong was the founding director in 2018 of the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Center at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Before that, she spent 19 years at the Comprehensive Neuromuscular Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
25 years and $125K for nonprofit programs
Art & Creativity for Healing raised $125,000 at its Black & White 25th anniversary ball held April 26 at the Ambassador Event Center inIrvine.
Proceeds from more than 200 guests’ donations will go to the organization’s mental health and emotional healing programs.
“I’m very grateful to all the people who have helped us over the last 25 years,” said the nonprofit’s founder and director Laurie Zagon. “What an incredible honor it is to have such loyal and supportive friends.”
Programs benefiting from the fundraiser include Wounded Warriors, Special Needs/Exceptional Families, Grieving Children, Adults & Seniors, Women Survivors, Troubled Teens and Families in Life Transitions.
For more information about Art & Creativity for Healing, which is located in Laguna Hills, call 949-367-1902 or go to art4healing.org.
Pretend City honored
Pretend City, the real-life experience museum made just for children, was named 2025 Nonprofit of the Year for the 73rd Assembly District by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris.
“Pretend City is more than a museum — it’s a cornerstone of early childhood development in our community,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine). “Their commitment to nurturing young minds through imaginative play and educational programming has made a lasting impact on countless families. I’m proud to recognize their exceptional work and excited for their future expansion at the Great Park.”
Ellen Pais, Executive Director of Pretend City Children’s Museum, called the recognition “a meaningful validation of our mission to support early childhood development for all children through play-based learning.”
The children’s museum is about to launch a $56 million construction project for its larger Pretend City at Irvine’s Cultural Terrace in the Great Park. The new facility will include a 20,000-square-foot indoor and 20,000-square-foot outdoor facility, plus a restaurant and rentable space for partners Beyond Blindness and the Association of the Education of the Young Child.
The city is loaning $26.5 million for the project, to be repayable over 47 years.
Construction on the new museum begins in July with an opening tentatively scheduled for winter 2026.
Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.