GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Student-athletes at Ottawa Hills High School will be training in a completely renovated weight room this fall, thanks to a large donation of new gym equipment, flooring and more.
Two Planet Fitness franchisees are partnering with Grand Rapids Gold and Milk Means More to provide Grand Rapids Public Schools high schools with better facilities to encourage workouts and healthy lifestyles for students. donated $140,000 in new equipment to .
The 6,113-square-foot weight room at Ottawa Hills (2055 Rosewood Ave. SE) features new equipment including machine weights, free weights, a treadmill and stationary bike, as well as new flooring, televisions, mirrors and new courts. It has been. Marcus Harris, athletic director for Grand Rapids Public Schools, said there was paint left on the walls.
“Everything looks completely new, from the equipment to the paint on the walls,” Harris told MLive/Grand Rapids Press on Friday, Sept. 15. Gradually I started noticing it and the change was incredible. ”
The donated gym equipment was provided by two Michigan Planet Fitness franchisees, EPIC Fitness Group LLC and Red Mountain Companies, said Mary Scott, vice president of marketing for EPIC Fitness. It is said that there is.
Scott said the franchisee has previously completed similar gym renovation projects at six schools in the Detroit area and two in Toledo, Ohio. They are providing the school with all new gym equipment, new flooring, mirrors and wall paint to essentially create a “miniature” Planet Fitness, she said.
The goal is to find underserved and distressed schools that cannot afford to renovate their gymnasiums and create new, refreshed schools where students can develop physical activity habits that establish healthy habits from an early age. Scott said the goal is to provide space for
“We know these kids don’t have it easy, and what we can offer them is something to address their mental or physical health, ease their anxiety, and keep them healthy. It’s an escape,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can. We wish we could give every school a gymnasium, but we’re really looking at schools that can’t afford it and need help.”
For the past three years, Planet Fitness has offered a Summertime program that gives high school students free access to the fitness center from May 15th to August 31st to encourage physical activity during school holidays.
Related: Planet Fitness offers free workouts to high school students throughout the summer
The weight room at Ottawa Hills High School is used regularly for training by the school’s physical education classes as well as track and field teams such as soccer, volleyball, swimming and tennis, Harris said.
The athletic director said the new training equipment aligns with the district’s values of promoting “lifelong healthy habits.”
“We emphasize the overall importance of taking care of your body in athletics. With new equipment, we have safer equipment,” he said. .
Harris said GRPS plans to donate old training equipment to the Grand Rapids Fire Department.
The public will be able to tour the newly renovated Ottawa Hills High School weight room next week during an unveiling ceremony hosted by Planet Fitness, The Grand Rapids Gold and Milk Means More.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 21, at 1:30 p.m. at the high school, 2055 Rosewood Avenue SE, Grand Rapids.
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