TOPS Club, Inc. 75th Anniversary Community Celebration
TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds SensiblySM), is celebrating 75 years of promoting successful weight management with a “Real People. Real Weight Loss.®” philosophy. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, TOPS is the only nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss organization of its kind—featuring weekly chapter meetings; nutrition, fitness, and wellness information; positive reinforcement; and motivation to adhere to food and exercise programs.
To mark Milwaukeean Esther Manz’s founding of TOPS in 1948, the community is invited to a celebration on Saturday, October 21 from noon to 5 p.m. at the TOPS headquarters, 4575 S. 5th Street in Milwaukee.
The event will kick off with chair yoga led by TOPS Nutrition & Fitness Editor Rachel Werner. A short program will follow, featuring remarks from TOPS President Rick Danforth and several successful TOPS members. Also participating will be the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Dr. Srividya Kidabmi, MD, MS, who also serves as TOPS News’ medical editor.
During this program a plaque will be unveiled, recognizing the addition of the TOPS headquarters building to the National Register of Historic Places.
Upon the conclusion of the program, attendees will be able to join a walking tour of the historic place, as well participate in self-led driving tours featuring TOPS founder Esther Manz’s house and other local attractions.
Other attractions include:
// Booths with fun offerings from exhibitors including Froedtert/the Medical College of Wisconsin, Outpost Foods, and the Wisconsin Athletic Club.
// Catered food plus anniversary treats.
// Kids’ activities.
// Photo opportunities.
// Music by Joe Wray, acoustic guitarist and singer.
// and more!
In addition, a rubber duck raffle is underway, with the chance to win the grand prize of a lifetime membership to TOPS, or complimentary memberships for different periods of time. Proceeds benefit TOPS’ mission, making weight loss and group support accessible to all, at a low price point. Ducks are $10 a piece and will be sold until 4 p.m. on Friday, October 20 at the TOPS website.
The event, outside if weather permitting, is open to all members of the community free of charge. The chair yoga and program will also be livestreamed for those who cannot attend.
Today, TOPS has about 65,000 members—men, women, and children—in thousands of chapters in all 50 states and Canada. Weekly meetings are the heart of TOPS support, whether they are held in-person or online.
In-person meetings start with an optional weigh-in, with members then sharing challenges, successes, or goals, followed by a brief program covering a variety of health and wellness topics, and may conclude with awards and recognition for the week. Visitors can attend their first TOPS in-person meeting free of charge and are encouraged to try more than one chapter, since they’re all a little different.
For online membership, meetings are conducted via Zoom and are offered at least five times during the week. The meeting starts with members disclosing challenges, successes, or goals. Next, the online facilitator presents a prepared program and sometimes includes guest speakers who share their expert views on fitness, nutrition, and more. Meetings conclude with action steps related to the program presented.
Visitors are welcome to attend their first in-person TOPS meeting free of charge. Membership is affordable at just $49 per year in the U.S. and $59 per year in Canada, plus nominal chapter fees. Join TOPS, visit www.tops.org, or call 800-932-8677 to learn more about TOPS and to find a local chapter.
