OCONTO – In an effort to continue supporting the Oconto community and promoting healthy and safe pastimes, the Bellin Health Fitness - Bond Community Center will be expanding their offerings and amenities through a recent grant.
This grant will support phase three of their outdoor youth playground, the annual kids’ triathlon and continuation of free community day events.
The Leon H. and Clymene M. Bond Foundation, Inc. has granted Bellin Health Fitness $30,000 towards their operations. The one-year grant was applied to through the Bellin Health Foundation, who has now secured a total of three years of funding from the Bond Foundation.
The Bellin Health Fitness - Bond Community Center first opened their doors in 1994 as the Bond Center, a dream of longtime resident Leon H. Bond. After Bellin Health took over operations in 2004 the two companies remained in contact through grant funding to support their shared Oconto community.
“We are so fortunate that the Bond Foundation still wants to help us with our programming here,” Team Leader Kaisey Eisch-Ermis said.
She continued, “All the things they grant us funds for, they want it to be put back into the community,” like their community days.
Eisch-Ermis explained that free community days allow Bellin to “open up the facility and invite everybody in without a charge, which is really important in this area.”
During these days the Bellin Health Fitness - Bond Community Center is opened for community members to visit the indoor indoor swimming pool, use the walking track, weight room, cardio room and connect with the variety of other community partners that Bellin invites to attend.
Julie Bulin, Vice President of Bellin Health Oconto Hospital shared “We partnered with North Lake Dental Clinic. They came in and taught the kids how to brush their teeth.”
She added that “The library public health came in, [too.] This facility gives people an opportunity to not only come here, but to learn about other things that are health related.”
The other area that funding from the grant will support is the expanded playground. Eisch-Ermis explained that the playground structure has been updated to increase playability for the kids as well as ensure safety.
While the structure is currently playable for children, this third phase, which will be completed in spring, will create an even better environment for children.
This is one example of the overall mission of the Bellin Health Fitness - Bond Community Center, growing their offerings to better support the community.
“It’s [about] keeping our community thriving and offering a place, or activities, that are always changing and keeping things fresh and new so that the community always has a place to go. We also want to keep that going for future generations,” Bullin said.
These activities and courses, like the morning swimming class, forge lasting friendships that promote healthy physical and mental practices.
“There are like 40 plus individuals in that pool, they help hold each other accountable to being there and they worry about each other if they’re not. It really helps with isolation and loneliness,” Bullin added.
As these spring grant-funded items are put into place, the Bellin team is setting their sights on this summer’s kid’s triathlon. The third-annual triathlon is slated for Aug. 2, and will be divided into categories based on age and intensity for kids ages three to 14.
The funding from the Bond Foundation “helps us to keep the registration fee really low for the kids and even offer free registration to those who might not be able to afford it.”
From free community days and a new playground to the third-annual kids triathlon, this spring and summer will be an exciting time at the Bellin Health Fitness - Bond Community Center.
For more information on the center, how to get involved and a list of events, visit www.bellin.org/locations/bellin-health-fitness-bond-community-center or call (920) 834-5585.
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