Since June 1, 1998 the newly established Petaluma Valley Athletic Club has been a labor of sweat and tears and challenges but most of all, unabashed love. Sadly, with the change in culture of our town and our industry, this dream has seemed to run its course and here we are saying something we had never dreamed we would have to say. On March 31, Petaluma Valley Athletic Club (PVAC) will close its doors as a club for the final time. With your love and support we were able to keep the doors open for 19 years more than it would have been thus giving us all that time to share many great experiences and memories that will be with us all forever.
As owners, we want to sincerely thank you all from the depths of our hearts for filling our classes, courts, fitness center and lobby and hearts with your presence; for giving us the chance to build a treasured community; to trust us to teach your children to swim, play racquetball, handball, tennis, care for them in camps or hire them for their first jobs. Thank you for showing up with your hearts and generosity as we together supported Butter and Eggs Day, Chili Cook-offs, Hurricane Katrina victims, cancer patients, Avonwalk for Breast Cancer, Blood Drives, Bone-marrow Donor Drive, COTS, Mentor Me, Fabulous Women, Boys and Girls Club, Petaluma Little League and Local Basketball teams, High Schools, The Carousel Fund, Police and Fire Departments and countless more worthy recipients with financial gifts, fitness equipment and thousands of hours of PVAC volunteering.
We are so grateful to the friends we have made here in Petaluma and hope to keep you forever. This is a special town with many remarkably kind people and so many of you have enriched our lives and those of our 6 children and 10 grandchildren with your goodness. We will miss you, along with our club picnics, our community gatherings, the laughter and the fun, the tennis, racquetball and handball tournaments and round-robins, the babies and kiddos growing up here, the Easter Egg Hunts and Christmas giving, and just the simple coffee or beer gatherings around the tables in the lobby where friendships were made, flourished and laughter abounded.
We want to especially thank two women without whom we would never have lasted 19 years. We know you will join us in honoring Andrea Pozzi, our CFO (among a plethora of other worthy titles), and Robin Freitas, our COO and the General Manager of PVAC. These two have given their hearts and souls and so much time and loyalty to us as people and to you, their community. Fortunately, they are continuing with us in our umbrella business. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to also thank two men who have been with us since day one, Chris Oakes, our original Tennis Pro, gave us all a love for tennis always making it fun with his wonderful humor, expertise and winning style. The other is our faithful octogenarian, Vinnie Caramagno, who along with Brian Dixon led Racquetball and helped to keep it alive to this day. A special thank you to all our Directors and Staff Members over the years who made us what we are, a community-minded and welcoming private club with a heart and smile for all who entered our doors.
To celebrate the collective 40 years of this Club, we would like to say goodbye with a come-if-you-can BBQ at the Club on Friday March 31st from 1-5pm. We would love to see you if just to say goodbye. If you want to bring a bottle or a dish to share, as you always did, feel welcome to do so, we will have hamburgers and what is left in the kegs to pour.
We close with our wish that you continue in health and happiness and never take for granted those around you and the blessings of each and every day. We never will….
Thank You Petaluma for 19 exceptional years.
We love you,
Martha and Rob Domont
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