Staff writer
At least 40 young people in eighth grade and high school converged on Lincolnville City Park Sept. 22 to install 20 exercise stations along a route that winds through the trees.
“I was very pleased with the turnout,” city parks and recreation chairman Sherri Pankratz said.
The group consumed 80 hot dogs and five watermelons after they finished the work.
The stations are mostly made of long wooden beams in various configurations. Each station is numbered and has a sign showing how to use it to improve fitness. Exercises include stretching, lifting, and balancing, and are purported to increase the heart rate if done in succession.
The route begins just south of the community building with two signs explaining the source and benefits of following the stations and doing the exercises.
A $15,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation provided the funds to buy the materials. The Boy Scouts will provide finishing details such as trimming and mulching.
The stations each stand alone at present, but Pankratz said she hopes to establish some kind of a trail, such as a mulched path, to connect them. She was unable to raise the necessary funds to establish a concrete trail.
Pankratz said the stations are for individuals of all ages. People can select which exercises to do, according to their age and ability.
She said some town residents reported they have visited the park on a daily basis to utilize the stations. She hopes young residents will be motivated by the new installations to be more active.
“We were pushing for getting kids out from in front of the TV and moving around,” she said.