Big-D Sports Park, located at 1376 Park Blvd. in downtown Ogden, has a
new exciting addition -- physical activity stations! If your family is looking
for an inexpensive way to get some fun exercise, look no further. The 9 stations offer a full body workout on safe and easy-to-use equipment. The design allows for people of all ages to participate.
The GOAL Foundations and other partners worked to create the stations last fall and they are still a work-in-progress. Carla Taylor, who has been an employee at GOAL Foundation for 3 ½ years knows all about the process of creating the stations.
The GOAL Foundations and other partners worked to create the stations last fall and they are still a work-in-progress. Carla Taylor, who has been an employee at GOAL Foundation for 3 ½ years knows all about the process of creating the stations.
Taylor, a former Weber State women’s basketball coach, was
hired at GOAL Foundation because they wanted a full-time employee to be in
charge of the youth program and community outreach. “It was a perfect way to
stay involved and give back and be a part of the Ogden community.”
The idea for the Big-D Park stations came from Jeff
Furton, a past youth committee chair, who always dreamed of having an exercise
course from GOAL along the Ogden Marathon course. “More than anything [he
wanted to] provide a means for kids to have fun, take their parents, and make
it a family atmosphere down on the trail and combine that with physical
activity.”
Taylor says that individuals from several organizations
wanted to participate in creating the stations. “It was different community
partners that came together and said, ‘Let’s put our heads together and make
this happen.'”
The GOAL Foundation was ultimately able to make the stations
happen with a grant from Intermountain Healthcare and the Weber County RAMP (Recreation, Arts, Museums, Parks) grant which
provided the funds to make the stations. Ogden City was also instrumental
because it is on city land, and officials wanted GOAL to keep the grass area open since
it’s a popular area to fly kites since there are no power lines overhead. Sponsors helped pay for each station. Taylor says a few are
still open.
There are no plans to replicate these physical activity
stations in the Ogden area. “It’s hard to find a place that you have space that
you’re able to use and the community would have access to, but we do have [Big-D Sports Park].”
Officials plan to introduce the station to the public with a community breakfast and activity later this summer.
Taylor says, “My hopes, and I think the GOAL Foundation’s
hopes, are that people use it, we see it full all the time, and instead of going
to the gym to do Crossfit now, maybe go down to the park once a week as your
workout and do the exercise course.”
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