Garaway to begin construction on new wellness center for students and staff
SUGARCREEK ‒ A new wellness center at Garaway High School is being planned to improve the physical and mental health of students and staff in the school.
Work will begin this summer on the facility, which will be located along the back parking lot of the grades 7-12 building in Sugarcreek and connect to the gymnasium with a covered walkway. It is slated for completion in November.
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According to Superintendent James Millet, it will be a split face facade building with 3,200 square feet inside and provide fitness and wellness opportunities for all students and staff. It will be outfitted with adaptable weight equipment as well as space for activities such as stretching, yoga, pilates, plyometrics and more.
It is being funded by grant money and will be staffed by Garaway staff members. Gor-Con Construction of Dover is the general contractor on the project.
Project sparked by increase in obesity among youth
"The idea for this facility was born from a need for adequate space that will provide wellness opportunities for both physical and mental health," Millet said. "According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we are seeing an unprecedented increase in a sedentary lifestyle and obesity among our youth."
According to the Tuscarawas County 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment, more than one-fourth (27%) of Tuscarawas County youth were classified as obese by Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations, and 21% of youth were classified as overweight.
The same report noted that 23% of youth reported they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities, increasing to 31% in female youth. Adult weight status showed more than two thirds (69%) of Tuscarawas County adults were either overweight (26%), obese (24%), severely obese (12%) or morbidly obese (7%).
"The Tuscarawas County Health Department is excited to hear about the wellness center that the Garaway School District will be opening to improve mental and physical health for students and staff,” said Amy Kaser, director of nursing at the Tuscarawas County Health Department. “It’s important to promote exercise as a lifestyle, not as something to dread doing. Taking the time to work out is hard and takes commitment, but making time to care for yourself has many benefits.
"Using the wellness center should help Garaway students and staff see results such as a healthy body weight, normal blood sugar and lower blood pressure. Exercise can also improve a person’s mood and offer other health benefits including improved brain health and cognitive function (thinking and memory), a reduced risk of anxiety and depression and improved sleep and overall quality of life.”
Due to the anticipated demand, the wellness center will only be for student and staff use at this time, Millet said.
Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Garaway Local Schools to build wellness center for students and staff
