CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Ocoee Middle School is nearly ready to open a cardiovascular fitness room to students and faculty.
"It will be a dream come true if we can have it ready when the students come back from Christmas break," Principal Ron Spangler said.
Spangler said that, except for some flooring, all the essentials already are on site. Planned exercise stations will include eight spin bikes, two rowing machines, a Wii fitness game and the fitness video "Dance Dance Revolution."
The cardio room is part of Bradley County Schools' pilot program for its PE4Life initiative.
"PE4Life teaches skills for physical activity for an entire lifetime," said Andrea Lockerby, consolidated school health coordinator for Bradley County Schools.
"Fitness is a part of life," she said. "It happens outside the gym walls and is not just sports-related activities."
Spangler and Lockerby both attended a PE4Life workshop in Indianapolis earlier this year and returned energized and focused on the program's goals of combating childhood obesity.
The cardio fitness room readily can accommodate an entire PE class, allowing students to rotate through various activities, Spangler said. Faculty and staff would be allowed to use the room before and after school hours, he said, and the room might be used in some after-school programs.
Spangler estimated setting up will cost about $20,000, including $12,000 for exercise machines, $7,000 for flooring and $800 for mirrors.
Lockerby said the fitness facility was funded through an $8,000 United Way grant and other donations of funds and in-kind services.
The school's Parent Teacher Organization recently voted to purchase a $1,145 spin bike for the cardio room.
"This is an advantage not only for the students, but also the teachers, and that's what we are here for," PTO Secretary Sonya Fain said.
Williams Construction demolished a wall to enlarge the cardio room at no cost to the school. Company President Thomas Williams estimated the value of the work at about $10,000.
"We like to build for the good of the community," he said. "We want to help our students and our schools."
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. E-mail him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.