Will a Fitness Cooperative in Elkader take shape?

The inside of the future Elkader Fitness Cooperative. In order to ready the facility for a work out center much labor is needed. Stud walls will need to torn down and framework will be needed. Drywall and some wiring is needed. A new floating floor will be needed for the aerobic and dance portion of the space. Cleaning and painting in the facility as well as deep equipment cleaning will also be required. If you want to donate or volunteer, do so online at www.elkaderfitnesscoop.com or call Amy Holst at 563-245-3206 after 6 p.m.

August 27, 2008
by Joleen Jansen

So many events and circumstances have saddened the people of Elkader since its devastating flood this past June. Perhaps one of the most overlooked issues left in the aftermath of the flood is the fact the Turkey River Athletic Club, (TRAC) was forced to permanently close. TRAC owner Colleen Henderson explains the damage the building suffered is beyond the means she can afford to repair and has made a decision to sell her building and return to her hometown of Anamosa where, unfortunately, property she owned there also experienced flood damage.

The permanent closure of this facility has left the health and fitness minded people of the town without a place to work out. The former athletic club was base for 80-plus paying members to work out. In addition to cardio-training equipment, and exercise equipment TRAC was also the site for aerobic, fitness, strengthening, yoga and dance classes.

From sun up to sun down, area residents of all ages made use of the fitness center. While the Elkader visioning process has included a long-term dream for a state-of-the-art sports complex and wellness center, as the summer months draw to a close, a group of local concerned citizens are sensing the urgency to immediately open a center in some form or fashion.

In particular, Elkader area resident Amy Holst has been on a mission since just after the flood, to reopen a fitness center in Elkader. Amy co-managed the Central Community Hospital associated Wellness Center before it became the privately owned TRAC, where she continued her association with the center by teaching fitness classes. Since 1993, Holst has been a certified aerobics instructor and a personal trainer.

She explains, "I have been involved with a fitness center, at some level, since 1993 and I cannot imagine life without access to a place to work out. I believe it is important for a community to have opportunities for its members to better themselves emotionally, holistically, spiritually, and physically. Fitness does this for me and many others. I hope for a place all of our community can use, from the young to the old."

Amy, with the help of a small group of concerned citizens, has made great strides toward the realization of a new fitness center cooperative in Elkader. Amy stresses the importance of noting this is a nonprofit venture. This group is not interested in making money or privately operating the center. The fitness center idea is solely based on a cooperative concept. Everyone who pays for a membership will own a piece of the gym. Holst says this about the potential success of the project, "This can only happen if health and wellness minded people step up and take stock in the project." In this case stock means money, effort and commitment. The name for the new venture is, The Elkader Fitness Cooperative.

After purchasing all of the TRAC gym equipment, the group researched a site to house the Elkader Fitness Coop. After weighing all of the possibilities the most reasonable location is the Zapf building located on Main Street adjacent to the former TRAC and where Mirror Images and Steven Saunders law officers were located. JP and Cindy Zapf have agreed to rent the building to the Elkader Fitness Coop on a month to month basis.

Obviously this building suffered significant flood damage but structurally not to the extent as the TRAC building. The building will be of adequate size to house the equipment and hold an agenda of classes including the dance classes that were taught by Denise Jones of DeniseÕs Dance Studio in Manchester.

The next step in the project is to measure the level of community support and enthusiasm for the project. The group has to know if residents will volunteer to help appropriately restore and remodel the building into a fitness center; and how many will make a commitment to becoming a member of the Elkader Fitness Coop. The cost of the construction project, the monthly bills and how many people join the Elkader Fitness Coop will determine the fee schedule for annual membership.

At the moment, the Elkader Fitness Coop organizers need to know if the community will step up and help make the project a reality. Holst explains, "We need money to hire the work to be done or we need someone to donate their services." The goal is to open the new fitness cooperative in October so that an indoor fitness center is available before the weather limits outdoor activities.

A website has been established to survey the people who will support the Elkader Fitness Cooperative, by both helping to open the facility and joining the coop. "We need to hear from everyone," says Holst. Anyone can go to www.elkaderfitnesscoop.com click on the survey button and fill out the form. People can also post their suggestions and ideas on the website. All information collected in the survey will remain private. Interested persons can also call Amy after 6 p.m. at 563-245-3206.

Contact

The Clayton County Register
106 Cedar Street NW • PO Box 130
Elkader, IA 52043
(563) 245-1311
FAX: (563) 245-1312
ccrnews@alpinecom.net