UNMC will hold a grand opening today at its newly expanded/renovated Center for Healthy Living facility at 40th and Jones streets.
Grand opening events
The grand opening event, held from 3-5 p.m. today inside the gymnasium of the Center for Healthy Living in the Student Life Center, marks the beginning of UNMC Employee Appreciation Week, which will feature several special events and giveaways for employees.
The Center for Healthy Living is offering a free month’s use of the fitness club facilities (from Oct. 10-Nov. 10) to all members of the UNMC and Nebraska Medicine community.
Speakers at the event will include John Scott, director of the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation; Nick Heiser, M.D., a UNMC alum and faculty member; Morgan Johnson, student senator; Jayme Nekuda, Ph.D.; and UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
The dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Self-guided tours follow the ceremony inside the Center for Healthy Living.
The event also will feature healthy snacks, free chair massages, workout demos, music from DJ Laci and fitness-themed prizes. Free UNMC workout towels will be given out as long as supplies last.
The UNMC Bookstore also was part of this renovation project. Be sure to stop in during the grand opening event to see the new space. The bookstore sells branded apparel and merchandise, and text books. Credit cards are accepted.
The $6 million project, which spanned nearly two years, included a 6,525-square-foot addition and renovation of 11,845 square feet of two floors of the building. The project was made possible by a lead donation by Omaha philanthropists Ruth and Bill Scott, longtime supporters of UNMC and the University of Nebraska.
“Ruth and Bill Scott have done so much for UNMC. They have literally transformed our campus,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. “This fitness center is a game changer. Our fitness facility had become antiquated and was in need of an update. The Scotts couldn’t have given us a better gift to make our campus healthier. This is a facility that could potentially benefit all our students, faculty and employees.”
Some of the highlights of the new facility include:
- Larger strength and fitness machine areas;
- Additional dedicated group fitness activity areas;
- Permanent areas for stretching and table tennis;
- Larger locker rooms with private changing areas and showers;
- New synthetic gym floor designed for user comfort and safety.
The Center for Healthy Living, which is part of the Student Life Center, has seen more than 48,000 total visits so far in 2016. In addition, more than 1,500 participants have taken part in UNMC’s 10 intramural sports leagues this year, and the center plans to add three new intramural leagues for dodgeball, sand volleyball and pickleball.
In recent years, with the creation of the UNMC Ice Rink in the Ruth and Bill Scott Student Plaza, UNMC has been able to add curling, broomball and bocce ball leagues.
“This building is one of the most important places on campus,” said Morgan Johnson, a second-year medical student and a member of the UNMC Student Senate. “It’s one of the places where teamwork is displayed, where friendships across colleges becomes a reality, and where students have an outlet to set goals for the healthy lifestyles we preach to our patients.”
Jayme Nekuda, Ph.D., associate director of human resources, said the importance of fitness cannot be underestimated.
“We need to realize that it’s essential to take care of ourselves and one another. Spending time together at this magnificent new Center for Healthy Living can be a great way to do that,” she said. “Taking a break is not taking away from your productive time, it can actually add to it.”