(WEST ALLIS, WI - July 18, 2023) — Quartz Health Solutions (Quartz) and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) today celebrated a ribbon-cutting event in the City of West Allis becoming the first official partner in the Quartz statewide wellness campaign in Wisconsin. The Fitness Court at Veterans Memorial Park, which originally launched to the community in the Fall of 2019, relaunched today with a special relaunch event and ribbon-cutting celebration.
Conveniently located at the corner of 70th Street and W. National Avenue, the Fitness Court is within walking or cycling distance of more than 21,000 residents. With one of the largest ambassador networks in the country, the West Allis Fitness Court community has grown to 500 engaged members with weekly programming led by Fitness Court Ambassador Laura Hedden.
“As a local West Allis resident and personal trainer with a passion for affordable and accessible fitness, I was excited to get involved with the Fitness Court when it was originally installed back in 2019,” said Hedden. “It’s incredible to see the Facebook group I created grow to 500 members and counting. I've hosted over 60 free or donation based workouts for the West Allis community and I love seeing the positive impact the Fitness Court has had in people's lives!”
The City of West Allis Fitness Court ribbon-cutting event celebrated West Allis joining the Quartz statewide Wellness Campaign as the leading healthy community in Wisconsin. In addition to the partnership with Quartz and the City of West Allis, the construction of the West Allis Fitness Court was also supported by Advocate Aurora Health. The event featured a “Battle of the Badges” first responder challenge between members of the West Allis Fire Department along with a special appearance from the Milwaukee Brewers™ Famous Racing Sausages®. The event concluded with a community class: Introduction to the Fitness Court, led by Hedden.
The Fitness Court is an outdoor gym that lets people use their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations. Created with people aged 14 and over and with all abilities in mind, the workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users also may download the free Fitness Court App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience.
“Quartz is thrilled to be launching the first Fitness Court® in our statewide partnership with National Fitness Campaign,” said Christine Senty, interim president and CEO, Quartz. “Quartz is dedicated to inspiring residents of our communities to create a life well-lived. By increasing community access to outdoor exercise programs, we hope to help empower our neighbors to take control of their health at all stages of wellness. We’re excited to deepen our connections with West Allis and to work together towards a future where well-living is within reach for everyone.”
“The City of West Allis is proud to have a dedicated group of individuals that regularly use our Fitness Court. The space continues to build community and improve the physical fitness of our residents, year after year,” said the Mayor of the City of West Allis, Dan Devine. “The free training app and Fitness Court allow our residents, of all fitness levels, to take control of their health without any financial barriers. We are thrilled we were chosen for the relaunch and can’t wait to see the updated Fitness Court in action.”
“National Fitness Campaign is excited to see the City of West Allis impacting the lives of their residents with consistent and engaging community workouts out on the Fitness Court,” said Mitch Menaged, founder of National Fitness Campaign. “We are excited to see the City of West Allis join the Quartz statewide wellness campaign as the leading healthy community in Wisconsin.”
Residents were invited to attend and also participated in the event’s Fitness Court class. For more information on the Fitness Court, visit www.westalliswi.gov/fitnesscourt. For more information on Quartz’s support of NFC, please visit nationalfitnesscampaign.com/wisconsin.
About Quartz
Quartz Health Solutions, Inc. (Quartz) is jointly owned by Advocate Aurora Health, Gundersen Health System, UnityPoint Health and UW Health. The company manages four provider-owned health insurance plans: Quartz Health Benefit Plans Corporation, Quartz Health Plan Corporation, Quartz Health Plan MN Corporation and Quartz Health Insurance Corporation. As a third-party administrator, Quartz also services self-funded health plans. Through an extensive provider network, Quartz focuses on local, community-based health care and services for customers who live in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Quartz Health Solutions, Inc., Quartz Health Benefit Plans Corporation, Quartz Health Plan Corporation, Quartz Health Plan MN Corporation and Quartz Health Insurance Corporation are separate legal entities. For more information, visit QuartzBenefits.com.
About City of West Allis
The City of West Allis is a proud and supportive community of nearly 60,000 diverse residents. Conveniently located between the thriving Milwaukee downtown urban center and inviting Lake Country suburbs, the City of West Allis continues to undergo a major redevelopment with new housing, restaurants, events, outdoor activities, and nightlife. The City is discovering a new vitality as a southeastern Wisconsin destination on the rise for families, young professionals, and business owners alike. For more information visit WestAllisWI.gov.
About National Fitness Campaign
Founded in San Francisco in 1979, National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a wellness consulting firm that provides programs and services to cities, schools and sponsors with the mission to build healthy communities. NFC delivers an integrated wellness initiative, centered on the world’s best outdoor gym: The Fitness Court®. The Campaign is planning its 500th Healthy Community, uniting the country’s largest public-private partnership in support of wellness with the goal of building a Fitness Court within a 10-minute bike ride of every American. Follow us on social media @NatFitCampaign and #FitnessCourt.
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