October 23, 2014
From left: Todd Linden, GRMC President and CEO; Shannon Fitzgerald, Ahrens Foundation CFO and Controller; Julie Gosselink, Foundation President and CEO; Chad Ahrens, Foundation board member; Susan Witt, GRMC and Foundation board member; Vanessa Doty, Administrative Manager
The Paul W. Ahrens Fitness Center in Grinnell Regional Medical Center’s (GRMC) Postels Community Health Park at the corner of Broad and Commercial in downtown Grinnell was officially opened on October 21, with a day-long open house. Area residents toured the new facility, enjoyed refreshments and learned about a new germ-resistant finish for equipment the Grinnell fitness center is the first fitness center to feature.
A total of 375 people came to the fitness center’s open house, enjoying coffee or smoothies from the Purple Cucumber in the new refreshment area in the morning, a story time by Drake Community Library staff for small children while moms looked over the new center, lunch from McNally’s deli at noon, and appetizers from Memories Maid and wine in the late afternoon.
GRMC President and CEO Todd Linden made presentations throughout the day and Fitness Center Director Chad Nath conducted tours from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Two representatives from CuVerro, a company in Atlanta, GA, that has created a special copper finish for exercise equipment, were among the guests. They explained that all the dumbbells, bench press bars, kettle weights and other bars and attachments in the fitness center have a bactericidal touch surface composed of a copper alloy that kills 99.9 percent of bacteria within two hours of contact.
The first two sites with the CuVerro surface were the U.S. Olympic training centers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The fitness center is the third location to install the Black Iron Strength equipment.
ASI, Signage Innovations made the new exterior sign for the fitness center, using the CuVerro copper as part of the sign.
The new fitness center includes a gym with exercise equipment; dedicated rooms for yoga, spinning and exercise classes; bathrooms with showers; and the refreshment area.
Monthly membership costs $40 and includes round-the-clock access through the entrance on Commercial just west of Broad St. for members who are issued a key fob. Members swipe their fob by a device which unlocks the door and automatically registers them in.
More than 350 people already hold monthly memberships to the fitness center, previously located in the GRMC Medical Arts Building, and more have joined this month as the center neared opening day. During the open house another 14 people signed up for monthly memberships, bringing the total to nearly 400. For PWA membership information, call (641)236-2999.
All the $500,000 cost for interior and equipment needs of the new center were funded by contributions from more than 300 donors, including the Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation, the Claude W. Ahrens Charitable Trust and the Michael and Susan Witt Foundation which contributed gifts totaling $130,000 for the new fitness center and the new chemotherapy and infusion suite at GRMC.
GRMC will move its physical and occupational therapy services to the former location of the fitness center with construction scheduled to begin in late October on the first floor of the Ahrens Medical Arts Building. Some exercise equipment will continue to be available at that location for those who prefer to exercise at the medical center for the access to healthcare if needed.
