LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Nosotros Rock Climbing called the basement of a Lakewood church home for seven years, but now it’s having to relocate because the building has been sold.

“Nosotros means ‘we’ in Spanish. My wife is a Spanish teacher, and nosotros reminds me to be home at 5:30 for dinner every night,” said Nosotros Founder Peter Stancato.

Stancato said the church where his business is located has become smaller over the years, so he felt the need to sell.

“It’s incredibly scary. Over the years, we opened two more gyms, but neither were successful. I feel close and dear to this place. This place is truly homey, welcoming and comfortable. It’s scary to let that go,” Stancato added.

Nosotros’ last day on Detroit Avenue is December 31.

“I am a big sportsman. Generally, if you are not good at sports, no one will talk to you. But if you’re not good at climbing, people will talk to you more. “I’ve never seen another activity like this before and I fell in love,” Stancato explained. “I believe in this place and it motivates me to keep going.”

Stancato said he specifically wants to keep the business alive because its customers are loyal.

“We are gaining momentum. Covid was the hardest, but we set up a portable climbing wall in my driveway. “Some members continued to pay their dues and Lakewood remained incredibly loyal,” he said.

During the pandemic, Stancato said he had to close Nosotros, so he opened another company to build rock climbing walls in people’s homes or backyards.

With his experience, Stancato is building a new rock climbing facility within the Lakewood Screw Factory.

“We will be great. One thing I really like about this space is the layout. It’s a square, so it feels like there’s a party going on,” Stancato noted. “We are in the process. A place is currently being prepared for us. They are cleaning the ceiling. They’re painting the ceiling, painting the walls, and redoing the floor. “We should start construction in three weeks,” Stancato said.

The new Nosotros location is expected to open on January 1.

But Stancato said he needed $50,000 to complete the construction phase.

“There are four ways to make money when opening a new business: savings, investors, bank or crowdfunding. The first three were not possible. “We chose to crowdfund to recover the city and also reward people when we relocate,” he said.

On Tuesday night, people were invited to a Halloween movie showing at the new Nosotros location, where cider and pizza were handed out.

Nosotros members like Andrea Jevenn stopped by to show support.

Jevenn has been a member of the facility for nearly two years.

“It was just something we wanted to do and try. We looked at many gyms in Cleveland and kept coming back,” Jevenn said.

Jevenn explained that she was looking for a safe space to help build her strength and improve her relationship.

“We’re tired of going to the gym and counting reps. Very ordinary. We have been doing this for many years. What really drew us to this event was that we could climb the walls, gaining strength over time. We were looking for another way to connect as a couple. “We were looking for another experience to play,” he explained. “Come out and support the cause. I think these are good people just trying to maintain and maintain something that’s important and fun to do.”

Stancato said other members, like a man named Dan, are the reason he wants to keep the place alive.

“I believe climbing connects people better than any other activity. There are six people who say the gym saved their lives. My favorite member right now is Dan. He said the gym saved his life twice. I went through divorce once and cancer,” Stancato said.

Stancato is planning a Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed party to encourage people to donate.

“We also have bigger demands for companies, such as team building. “Companies can name a section of the climbing wall and then there is an opportunity for the company to take over the gym,” he added.

If you are interested in donating to Nosotros, CLICK HERE.