The Downtown IMPACT Grant provides new opportunities for local businesses in the downtown Waterloo district who are actively working to positively impact our community. The grant is funded through contributions from businesses, community members, and the Annual Main Street Waterloo Golf Tournament. Main Street Waterloo and the downtown businesses would like to give a huge thank you to the generous sponsors, donors, and participants who make this grant program possible.​

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Try Pie Bakery

The Downtown IMPACT Grant will play role in catalyzing growth for Try Pie Bakery by allowing them to purchase a cold storage vehicle. This strategic investment expands the bakery’s wholesale partnerships and extends its reach within the community. With the addition of this essential asset, Try Pie Bakery efficiently transports and stores its products ensuring the availability of fresh goods to a wider audience. The grant addresses immediate funding needs, but also foster economic development, and enhances the overall vibrancy and sustainability of Downtown Waterloo.

As Try Pie Bakery extends their footprint and draws visitors to their flagship store, they will not only enhance their success, but increase visibility. This will attract a broader audience, drawing in both local residents and visitors alike. The expansion of their delivery abilities will generate a positive ripple effect, creating new opportunities for collaboration, encouraging entrepreneurship, and elevating Downtown Waterloo as a dynamic hub for commerce and community engagement.

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Gray Lane Yoga+Uplift Fitness

Gray Lane Yoga has been helping the community find inner peace and self-love since November 2020. They provide a variety of unique classes each week that cater to all levels. Gray Lane Yoga+Uplift Fitness' mission is to guide individuals on their journey of personal development with practices that uplift the mind, body, and heart.

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The addition of Uplift Fitness has expanded the studio to include aerial yoga and bungee fitness. This expansion allows Gray Lane to fully exemplify the power of uplifting ourselves. Aerial yoga is often offered as a hybrid, combining traditional yoga, Pilates, and dance using yoga hammocks. The versatility and support of the fabric allow people to access new movements and can reduce the loaded on wrists and knees, which can sometimes limit mobility in a floor-based practice. Aerial yoga offers assistance that gives clients the advantages of a low-impact, gentle on the joints workout with a winder base of exercises all while having fun!

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The Downtown IMPACT Grant provided resources for Gray Lane Yoga to take the next step in their journey adding Uplift Fitness. Uplift Fitness includes additional class times, open-gym opportunities, and consistent business hours allowing for more foot traffic and drop-ins throughout the day. In addition to regular class times, Uplift Fitness hosts private events such as bachelorette parties, weekend getaways and partner with Air BnBs/hotels, and city-wide celebrations.

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Owner Kelsey O'Bannon shared, "My classes are more than moving your body, they're focus is on your whole being; mind, body, and heart. It's so easy to go about our daily lives and never step outside of our comfort zone. But what if you took a chance? What if you dared to dream? What if that dream changed your life? It's never too late to dream! Now, Gray Lane Yoga is becoming what I always dreamed it could be."​