The College of Southern Maryland officially dedicated the Wellness and Aquatics Center located on its Leonardtown Campus with a ‘Big Splash’.
The 32,000-square-foot facility and the fourth building on the Leonardtown Campus has a fitness room, two wellness studios, a lap pool, and a zero-depth-entry therapy pool. Use of the center is free for registered credit students and memberships are available for individuals and families. The center provides classes for all ages and abilities including a seven-level ‘Learn to Swim’ program.
The collaboration of ideas for architecture, structure and usage by the “3-Cs”–county, college and community that made up the Wellness Center Advisory Committee–led to the project’s support and its ultimate success, said CSM Board of Trustees Chair Mary Krug.
Longtime efforts of partners at the local, county and state levels included funding of $12.5 million shared by the state of Maryland (75 percent) and St. Mary’s County (25 percent).
The project architects Grimm and Parker and the contractors J.A.Scheibel Construction completed the project on time and on budget, according to CSM Vice President and Dean of the Leonardtown Campus Dr. F. J. Talley.
The center opened for students and for classes Sept. 7 with fitness and aquatics exercise classes for credit and non-credit students.
The facility’s fitness center is named in recognition of St. Mary’s Hospital who, as part of the college’s major gifts campaign provided $100,000 support for the nursing and healthcare initiative.
“We’re not just a place of book learning,” said Krug. “Our concern is the whole person: intellect, career preparation, recreation and social experience, lifetime learning, and health and wellbeing.”
“Though the word ‘community’ is no longer a part of the college name, I remind friends and neighbors that this new facility is for all the community, not just the young, but the young at heart. With the ever-increasing cost of healthcare as well as the on-going shortage of doctors, it is becoming imperative for each of us to assume more responsibility in taking care of our bodies and minds the best we can,” said Stephen L. Raley of Leonardtown as part of the program.
Raley has enrolled in CSM’s fitness classes since 2007 and is among the 60 who were enrolled in the fall’s continuing education classes at the center.
“CSM offers many opportunities for us elder citizens to enrich and enjoy our post-employment years-and this is the jewel in that crown,” said Krug. “From little ones just learning to swim, to us more seasoned folks looking to keep both brains and bodies active and healthy, this is your place. Enjoy.”
For information on Wellness and Aquatics Center memberships, credit or non-credit classes, visit http://www.csmd.edu/About/campuses/leonardtown/building/WellnessCenter.html or call (240) 725-5370.
