Issue link: https://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1547391
FALL / WINTER 2026 9 first take friends & family Friends & Family is on now! Share the Club, earn WAC Rewards By Sheila Cain Friends & Family, the WAC's annual membership drive, is on now. is means every time you sponsor a new member during Friends & Family, you receive $250 in WAC rewards, and new members get half off their entry fee. Everyone wins! So, if your friends, neighbors, coworkers, or family mem- bers have expressed an interest in the Club, now is the time for them to join. It's the little things Jeff Baker, a third-generation Life Mem- ber, was introduced to the Club by his grandfather, who owned an advertising agency. As a child, Jeff saw him attend work-related meetings and social events and came to view the WAC as a place for both business and personal connections. As he got older, Jeff made the Club part of his own routine. Now retired, he still visits regularly for workouts and to catch up with friends and says it is difficult to capture exactly what makes the WAC so special. "When I was younger and my father and grandfather were alive, Jubilee and the Father Son Banquet were big things," he says. "Now, as an adult, it really is the small things." It's the friendliness of the door- man who greets Baker by name. It's the so glow and laid-back ambi- ance of Torchy's Den. And it's the comfort of a place that, for most of Jeff 's life, has just felt like family. Over the years, Baker has in- troduced many friends and colleagues to the WAC. "I've shown them various meet- ing rooms, we check out Torchy's and Hagerty's, I let them kick the Open Houses Bring guests to our complimentary Friends & Family Open Houses. They'll enjoy complimentary wine pours and small bites, and our membership team will be on hand to offer mini tours. Open houses take place 5–6:30 pm in the lobby on the following days: • Thursday, November 5 • Thursday, December 10 • Thursday, January 7 Earn $250 in WAC Rewards for each new membership you serve as primary sponsor for throughout Friends & Family. Friends & Family new member application deadlines are: • November 18 for December join • December 23 for January join • January 20 for February join The Washington Athletic Club is a private club. All membership applications go through a review process and must be approved by the Membership & Marketing Committee and the WAC Board of Governors. tires themselves," he says. "A good number have become members." The numbers add up New member Amisha Gupta, who joined in 2026, hasn't yet created a life- time of memories at the WAC, but she knows a good deal when she sees one. Gupta, a product manager at Microso, crunched the numbers and realized she could use the WAC's athletic facilities as much as she wanted and take unlim- ited fitness classes for only $12 a day— around a third the cost of a single Pilates class elsewhere in downtown Seattle. "You can't beat that anywhere," says Gupta. "It's easy to justify the price." Gupta has started to spread the word of the WAC to colleagues, es- pecially during Friends & Family. "e discount is big! People don't realize that," says Gupta. "People should also check with their employers. Compa- nies may not advertise it, but many will help with fees for fitness and lifestyle." The best things are shared e WAC has always been more than a place to work out, dine, or gather. It's a community built through everyday connections. "People want to be part of some- thing," Senior Manager of Membership Experience Samantha Stanton says. "Authentic introductions go a long way." is Friends & Family season, share what makes the Club feel like home to you—and invite someone new to experi- ence it for themselves. Refer new members on the WAC app or at wac.net/friends-family