The rubber surface has cured and the security fencing has been removed…
Windermere Community Fitness Park is Open
August 12, 2022 – Windermere Community Fitness Park “unofficially” opened this morning when workers from Marathon Surfaces arrived to remove the security fencing surrounding the site. It wasn’t long before people out for morning walks stopped to explore the site and by early evening the fitness park was active with families checking out the fitness stations for the first time.
“The idea behind the fitness park” says Brad White, Windermere Secondary School PE department head and project designer, “is to accommodate a PE class of 30 teens for outdoor circuit training challenging a variety of fitness parameters from balance and coordination; to agility, strength and endurance. Before and after school hours though, the fitness park is a gift of health to the local community”.
If today’s attendance is any indicator, this will be a popular community fitness park. While there are other outdoor fitness sites built by Vancouver Parks Board in several local parks, none of these are as comprehensive as the Vancouver School Board’s Windermere Community Fitness Park. “I think COVID really challenged the scope of our mission as physical education teachers. We had to think creatively about ways to work around the limitations of indoor activities and, in doing so, the idea of a well-thought out fitness park was born”.
Meanwhile…
Fund Raising Efforts Are Re-Ignited!
As the fitness park comes together, it’s time to restart our fund raising efforts. As mentioned in an earlier update, so far the fund raising efforts of Brad White and the Windermere PAC have raised $150,000 through the generosity of private donors, local businesses, and from provincial and federal funding. But according to Brad, the project is short of funds to cover the additional costs for:
- Signage
- Seating
- Landscaping
- NEW! A table tennis court (a Vancouver first)
- Developing online resources so anyone can learn how to master the fitness park through watching videos on a smart phone.
Please donate to support our ongoing efforts to build a healthier community. When you donate through the VSB link that appears on every page of the website, know that 100% of your donation will go to the Windermere Community Fitness Park. All donations will receive a tax receipt from the Vancouver School Board. Invest today in the long-term health of your community!
in Vancouver by