The two Rotary clubs of Williams Lake met in the city's Kiwanis Park Wednesday, May 28 to celebrate their recent contributions to the park.
Members of the community gathered around new fitness equipment within the park to learn more about the stations and how to use them before enjoying a lunch of hot dogs and burgers. The outdoor fitness area, spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Williams Lake (RCWL), was installed in the later half of 2024. The Williams Lake Daybreak Rotary Club's (WLDRC) shade sail, placed over the neighbouring playground, was also installed in 2024.
Neither project received a proper welcome until today when more than 15 people gathered at a ceremonial ribbon cutting for the new fitness park and shade sail.
The event opened with a drum song by Williams Lake First Nation representatives William Lulua and Valerie West before the RCWL club president Amber Stratton shared a few words.
"Thank you to the many volunteers that helped with the planning and the completion of the park, and your dedication is greatly appreciated," Stratton said before inviting former club member Walt Cobb up for the ribbon cutting. Cobb, who is also the city's former mayor, first brought forward the idea of installing an outdoor exercise area to the club.
Along with financial contributions by the RCWL, District Rotary 5040 and the Cariboo Regional District, the fitness park was made possible through grants from the Northern Development Initiative Trust, the BC Alliance for Healthy Living Society and through a partnership with the City of Williams Lake.
Stratton said that together the two Rotary clubs in Williams Lake have put over $120,000 into Kiwanis Park in just the last year.
Fitness instructors Carol Morrison and April Spurn from the Cariboo Memorial Complex were also at the opening, giving tours of the new fitness equipment and helping community members learn how to use them.
Having been installed for several months now, the fitness park has already shown its value to the community as guests at the event discussed their excitement for this latest addition and how they've seen the community make good use of it.
Chris Hornby, for one, was very happy to have access to the outdoor fitness equipment.
"You can feel the wind in your hair," Hornby said, as she described the feeling of exercising while outside. She said the fresh air and the view of the community were also perks to being outside.
"Look at those beautiful trees," she exclaimed as she took in the environment surrounding her while testing out the equipment.
Laughlin Kurucz stumbled into the ceremony when he came to the park for a workout, which has become part of his daily routine during his short visit to Williams Lake. Originally from Lethbridge, Alta., Kurucz is visiting the area for about a week and said as a frequent traveller he appreciates it when a city has an outdoor fitness area.
All nine stations are free to use year-round and two of the stations are accessible to people who use wheelchairs. There are QR codes placed on each station which, if scanned, will allow users to access video tutorials demonstrating different exercises the equipment can be used for.
Just a few steps away from the Kiwanis Park playground, the fitness park also provides an alternative for caregivers who may want to get a bit of exercise in while their children play under the WLDRC's new shade sail. Along with this sun shade, the Daybreak club also installed a new ping pong table in the Seniors' Activity Centre and are the ones to thank for the boulder wall in Boitanio Park. These projects were possible thanks to local fundraising done by the Daybreak club as well as through grants.
Beginning July 2 until August 27, fitness instructors with the Cariboo Memorial Complex will be running weekly fitness classes in Kiwanis Park for free on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m.
