Estevan’s Fresh Air Fitness outdoor gym recently received a donation of $3,000 from The Estevan Strippers hockey team and Nalco Champion.
Of that donation $1,000 came from the Estevan Strippers Molson Spring Bust 35th Annual Tournament and the remaining $2,000 came from a Winnipeg Jets game package donated by NalcoChampion as a silent auction item for the tournament.
Peggy Rohatyn and Debbie Knight, fundraisers and organizers for the outdoor gym project, said though they don’t yet know specifically where the money is going, it will likely be put toward more equipment.
“Things people want we’ll try to add them; we’re open to suggestions if there’s anything people would like to see in there,” said Knight, speaking of the workout equipment.
“We’re waiting for the sand to come in and we’re waiting for the other pieces that are getting done yet.”
Fresh Air Fitness, which is located between the baseball diamond and soccer field in Woodlawn Regional Park, is expected to have its grand opening Aug. 27.
Rohatyn added the grand opening event would run from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. with demonstrations, skill testing, small competitions and tours of the running trails in the woods behind the gym.
She said there are roughly 15 trails that join up near the Woodlawn Regional Park campground and the organizers have also picked an area in the woods to set up a quiet meditation centre.
The outdoor gym also features platforms behind the storage building that can be used for yoga, karate and tai chi.
“We’ve had a really good response so far,” said Knight.
“They’re (the public) anxious for us to get going, it’s has been excellent, they’re happy, they’re pleased — we did yoga on Saturday and one of the other yoga instructors that was here said, 'thank you, I’m going to dedicate my practice to you two today.'”
Fresh Air Fitness, which has been created with nothing but donations and sponsorships, came about when Knight and Rohatyn had a meeting for the Coal Country Run.
Each year proceeds from the run go to support different projects like the Bienfait rink and the Saskatchewan Summer Games and when organizers were thinking up another project to support, someone from the public suggested an outdoor gym
Things just snowballed from there.
“They explained it and we said, that’s a great idea, we could make it free for everybody,” said Rohatyn.
Fresh Air fitness will be open to the public all year, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
