UPDATE: Grand opening of Flaherty Park Outdoor Fitness Court postponed due to threat of inclement weather
***UPDATE - The grand opening of the Flaherty Park Outdoor Fitness Court is being postponed due to Saturday's inclement weather forecast. A new grand opening date will be announced during the week of June 13.
The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources (PRCR) Department will unveil its new outdoor Fitness Court at Flaherty Park during a special grand opening celebration on Saturday, June 11, at 10 a.m. The occasion will include a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, brief remarks by Mayor Vivian Jones and other Town officials, demonstrations by Camp Gladiator instructors, PRCR giveaways, and more.
The new Flaherty Park Outdoor Fitness Court®, 1226 N. White St., is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court is adaptable for all fitness levels.
New users can also download the free Fitness Court App — a coach-in-your-pocket style platform — that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem. The app, entitled “Fitness Court”, is available for iOS and Android.
“We’re inviting everyone in our community to attend our grand opening on June 11 and experience our new outdoor Fitness Court,” said PRCR Director Ruben Wall. “It’s an impressive new addition to our parks and greenways system that we believe will make fitness fun and accessible to everyone. It’s another way we are promoting health and fitness while also providing opportunities for our residents to connect with their neighbors.”
The outdoor Fitness Court is a featured part of a 2022 initiative launched by National Fitness Campaign (NFC), a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to plan, build, and fund healthy infrastructure.
In 2021, the Town of Wake Forest was selected from hundreds of applicants around the country – and the first in the Triangle - to be awarded a $25,000 grant from NFC to help support the program.
NFC developed the trademarked seven-station system in 2012 hoping to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 200 active Fitness Court locations across the country, and the Campaign will reach a total of 500 cities and schools by the end of 2022.
“We’re excited to bring our campaign to make world-class fitness free to Wake Forest,” said NFC Founder Mitch Menaged. “Together with the Town, NFC is happy to be part of a wellness network growing across the nation. With funding to reach 1,000 cities and schools by 2024, our Fitness Courts, free mobile app, classes, and clinics are building healthy habits for millions of people.”
For more information about the Flaherty Park Fitness Court, contact PRCR Director Ruben Wall at [email protected] or 919-435-9561.