RELATED: Clark State to allow Springfielders to use outdoor exercise areas
Last year the Clark County Combined Health District and the college agreed to a shared-use agreement, allowing the public to use Clark State’s facilities, including its tennis courts, one-hole golf green and walking paths. The recent updates include the fit stop, as well as new signage for its walking paths. The college is also creating an indoor walking path through the various buildings on campus.
“Clark State doesn’t shy away from the word ‘community’ in community college,” Clark State President Dr. Jo Alice Blondin said. “We care very deeply for Springfield. We know that a healthy Springfield will result in an educated Springfield.”
The new park cost $15,000 and was paid for through a state grant, Creating Healthy Communities Coordinator Elle Evans Peterson said. It includes multiple pieces of equipment that allows people to perform different exercises, she said.
The district is still seeking an additional $15,000 in grant money to add more workout equipment to the park, she said. The park is also smoke free, Health Commissioner Charles Patterson said.
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Clark State wants to be a driving force for wellness on the south side and hopes to make more announcements in the future, Blondin said.
“It’s not just our goal but it’s our moral imperative to make sure that we are driving health care and wellness outcomes on this side of town,” she said. “We take that very seriously.”
The fit stop is the second that’s been built using Creating Healthy Communities grant money in Clark County. The first was built downtown along the bike path near Warder Street and opened in October 2015 and cost about $20,000.
“It provides a no-cost opportunity for the community to get healthier in a smoke-free environment,” Patterson said.
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The district and the city of Springfield were recently named a 2016 Healthy Community Award Winner from the Ohio Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Communities program. Springfield was one of 13 cities statewide that won the award out of more than 100 eligible communities.
“We’re doing things to make the community healthier,” Patterson said.
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Staying with the story
The Springfield News-Sun first wrote about the shared use agreement between Clark State Community College and the Clark County Combined Health District last August as part of its award-winning Healthy Springfield series.
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