Grand Rapids community invests in health and wellness with Priority Health Fitness Court®
(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – August 12, 2022) The City of Grand Rapids, Priority Health and the National Fitness Campaign (NFC) are pleased to announce the opening of an outdoor Priority Health Fitness Court® at Ottawa Hills Park in Grand Rapids. This launch is made possible thanks to the statewide partnership between Priority Health and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities.
The new Fitness Court at Ottawa Hills Park, 2060 Oakfield Ave. SE, is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. The Fitness Court is adaptable for all fitness levels. It can also be used in group or solo settings with local volunteer ambassadors leading classes for groups. New and solo 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 Fitness Court App is available for iOS and Android.
“We are pleased to partner with the City of Grand Rapids Recreation Department and the National Fitness Campaign to open another Priority Health Fitness Court,” said Praveen Thadani, president of Priority Health. “We believe all people have the right to a healthy life and that’s why we’re committed to investing in the community to help reduce barriers to free, accessible fitness and improve wellness for the neighbors of Grand Rapids. Health and wellness belong in the community, and we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to enhance the health and wellness of our communities.”
Grand Rapids is home to the latest outdoor court in a series of at least 18 Priority Health Fitness Courts that are being constructed in easily-accessible public spaces. The project at Ottawa Hills Park was made possible by the generosity of additional sponsors, including Meijer and Grand Rapids Public Schools.
“A healthy and active community is core to our mission,” said David Marquardt, parks and recreation director for the city of Grand Rapids. “Strategic partnerships like this help us continue to bring unique and innovative amenities to our park system.”
NFC's award-winning initiative is now supporting more than 150 cities across America, including cities in Michigan, such as Madison Heights, Highland Park, Lansing, Big Rapids, Traverse City and Saginaw.
See photos from the celebration here.
For more information, visit The City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation’s website at grandrapidsmi.gov/parks, or contact the department at 616.456.3696 or parksandrec@grcity.us.
About Priority Health:
With over 30 years in business, Priority Health is the second largest health plan in Michigan, offering an extensive portfolio of health benefits options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Serving more than 1.3 million members each year and offering a broad network of primary care physicians in Michigan, Priority Health continues to be recognized as a leader for quality, customer service, transparency and product innovation. Learn more about affordable, quality health coverage options from Priority Health.
About NFC
National Fitness Campaign (NFC) is a social enterprise – founded in San Francisco, California in 1979 – that specializes in funding, activating and promoting healthy infrastructure through partnerships with cities and schools. Now operating in over 150 cities, NFC's unique program delivers consulting services and an integrated wellness initiative to communities, centered on the world’s best outdoor gym: The Fitness Court®. Our mission is to design healthy infrastructure for cities to improve the quality of life for people. Learn more about NFC at NationalFitnessCampaign.com and follow us on social @NatFitCampaign.
About the City of Grand Rapids:
The City of Grand Rapids is a diverse and culturally rich community of 200,000 residents located along the banks of the Grand River, 30 miles east of Lake Michigan. Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan. It serves as the county seat of Kent County and is the economic engine for the western part of the state. Grand Rapids provides a full range of services to residents, businesses and visitors. The City has been recognized nationally for its quality of life and is considered one of the best places to live in the U.S. It also has been touted among the best cities to start a career, raise a family and retire, among many others. Stay connected with City news, events and information online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.