Members of a local gymnastics club are keeping things positive as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact programming.

When the South Central Aerials' season was cut short in November following the Code Red public health declaration, rather than accept a refund for the remainder of their registration fees, a majority of parents opted to forward the money to Genesis House.

"We were completely overwhelmed with the response that we got," said club co-founder, Pauline Nickel.

In the end, unused fees for 106 out of 139 students was donated to the Winkler-based women's shelter for a total of $2,710.

"We were really shocked with the outpouring of generosity," added Nickel, noting the club has some members with up to five kids registered who said to give away their portion. "We have some very generous people in this club."

According to Nickel, those positive attitudes were present throughout the fall session as parents and participants adapted to a series of changes that had to take place in order to run the program.

Typically, the South Central Aerials practice in the Plum Coulee School gymnasium but had to relocate to the smaller community hall above the arena after Garden Valley School Division closed its facilities to public rentals. While the space may have been smaller than what they were used to, Nickel says the club was able to pretty much run a full program up until it had to shutdown.

"People were just going with the flow of it and really accommodating and understanding," she said. "We were all very disappointed when we had to close but we just haven't had any negativity at all. It's been really good."

What started as a small club of 45 members just a few short years ago has grown to 139 male and female participants between the ages 3 and 15, according to Nickel. She added members come from as near as Plum Coulee, Gretna, Morden and surrounding areas and as far as Lowe Farm, Carman and Roland. The club staffs 10 coaches and is run by a five-member board of directors with parents stepping in to volunteer. As well, the recreation program doesn't host or participate in competitions. "We keep it really fun and a learning experience for the kids in the area," noted Nickel.