Grant funds, sponsorships and donations will cover the costs of a new outdoor Fitness Court in the City of Gladewater – how much is raised will determine how large it’ll be.
Per the city’s grant writer (and chief librarian) the community has already been awarded a $60,000 grant from the National Fitness Campaign. That’ll fund about one-third the cost of a standard build by the organization or a smaller fraction of a full-scale installation.
“My opinion is, if we want to do this, we need to go big,” Brandy Wynn told council members last Fall. “I told (NFC) I want workups for how much it’s going to cost for everything.”
(Featured Image: One example of a National Fitness Campaign Fitness Court. Installations vary in size and layout, depending on what the community wants and is able to fund using public monies and donations.)
The campaign was launched in 1979, focused on getting “free fitness everywhere” through the organization’s signature Fitness Court builds.
“Redesigned for the 21st century, the Fitness Court is the world’s best outdoor gym,” according to founder Mitch Menaged. “Our seven-movement, seven-minute system allows you to use your own body weight to get the perfect workout.”
The courts are crafted for a wide age and skill range with adaptable personal routines (available through the Fitness Court mobile app library of workouts) in addition to classes and clinics delivered by program ambassadors. Official options range from yoga to Zoomba, with space for P90X and more.
“Easy or hard, it will work for you. Our goal is to build healthy communities by making outdoor fitness an essential party of people’s lives.”
Learn more at nationalfitnesscampaign.com or view an introductory video via tinyurl.com/fitnesscourts
One of the program’s selling points is its assistance in fundraising for the Fitness Courts’ scalable installations.
“They are actually going to be helping us find donors, find sponsors, find grants,” Wynn said, with a 10-month timeline to finalize plans ranging from a $175,000 two-sided build to a larger bells-and-whistles version with a shade structure and other features totaling almost $350,000. “If we don’t get to the full amount, that’s fine. There are other options we can do that are smaller.”
Council members signed off on a resolution pursuing the grant funds with the understanding no city funds will be in the mix.
“They want this in a high-traffic area,” Wynn noted, coordinating with the community’s Parks & Recreation Board. “We’ve got to take a look at exactly where we want to put it.”
Final implementation is projected for 2027.
“I’m really inclined to say Everett Park. It goes hand-in-hand with the development of the dog park on the back side and the walking trail that already exists,” council member Kevin Clark said. “If we build it, they will come.”
Ongoing maintenance costs will have to factor into the plan, Mayor Brandy Flanagan noted.
“I think we might want to look at fixing what we already have,” Mayor Pro Tem Sonnie Anderson said. “There is plenty of space down at Bumblebee Park, but the first thing you hear is vandalism.”
Address the issues there with cameras and other measures, he added, before adding another project into the mix.
That’s in the works, Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith noted, a 24/7 security system that will encompass multiple city properties.