Upper Holmesburg resident Dan Yencho hopes he can win a Pepsi Refresh Project grant to open a fitness center for teens.

All Dan Yencho needs is a large, warehouse-type space and a little money — say, $50,000.

The Upper Holmesburg resident with a personal training background needs both to open what he calls the Holmesburg Power Company, an after-school fitness center for teens.

“Having a positive place where kids can go can be a great place for the community,” Yencho says.

He’s hoping the Pepsi Refresh Project can help.

No stranger himself to exercise, Yencho was running through his neighborhood over the summer to train for the Spartan Race at Blue Mountain when he bumped into his inspiration.

A teenage girl, running on the same street but in the opposite direction, stopped Yencho to ask him for pointers when she saw his gym sweatshirt. Yencho says he offered her tips, including one to be careful running by herself early in the morning.

What she told him next became a jumping off point. continue reading »