GMC breaks ground again

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February 6, 2013

GMC breaks ground again

Health and Wellness Center website launches

Anonymous Special to The U-R The Union-Recorder Wed Feb 06, 2013, 12:40 PM EST

MILLEDGEVILLE — The Georgia Military College Foundation has announced the public launch of its new campaign website: http://healthandwellnesscampaign.com.

"The website is an important tool in helping us share information about our new Health and Wellness Center," said Powell Moore, GMC alumnus and campaign fund chair. “We hope people will take some time to visit the website and be inspired to lend their support.”

Underlying its upbeat, “retro-meets-modern” theme, the website conveys a serious message.

"GMC is committed to good health and fitness for our students, as well as to ending the obesity epidemic in Georgia," Moore added. "We are asking others to give their strong support to this important mission."

On the website, browsers can check out nostalgic GMC photos, as well as renderings of the modern, new health facility. The website includes insider details and frequently asked questions about the center, heart-warming stories about donors and fun-filled coverage of the center's events. Readers can also learn more about the obesity crisis in Georgia, which impacts nearly 40 percent of our state’s youth.

"The generosity of friends and alumni has yielded more than $2 million, but another $1million in private donations is needed to finish the task. We are asking everyone to make a donation, large or small," said Moore. "Together, we can lay the foundation for healthy students today, and the healthy future of GMC students to come.”

Donors have an opportunity to name fitness areas within the center, even individual equipment in cardio and weight training areas. And smaller donations go a long way toward the many incidental needs of the addition.

Funds to build this long-awaited Health and Wellness Center are coming from a combination of state allocations, institutional funds and private philanthropy. Following $7 million from the state, $7 million in institutional reserves and recent generous gifts of $2 million, the school is continuing to seek $1 million in private support to make the long-planned project a reality.

GMC held a groundbreaking ceremony for the center in October and construction is now underway.

History of the Center

GMC students have been getting fit at the current Cordell Events Center since the days of bell-bottoms and Lyndon Johnson. Almost 50 years later, the facility is outdated, cramped and inadequate. When Cordell was originally built, it served 500 male students. Today, GMC needs recreation facilities for more than 2,000 young men and women.

With such limited recreation space, GMC’s junior college can’t offer physical education classes. Nor can GMC offer college sports requiring a gym. There is not space for winter intramural sports and locker rooms are too small for number of students they serve. With a single, open shower, girls lack privacy; neither boys nor visiting sports teams have shower access. Additionally, the center wasn't designed for weight-lifting equipment, so the school’s apparatus must be placed with precision over support beams in the floor.

As part of its multi-year Master Facilities Plan, GMC is upgrading and expanding the current facility, with plans to open the new $17 million Health and Wellness Center in December.

"We’ve begun construction on the center, which will include three levels and 56,250 square feet of brand new fitness space," said Bert Williams, GMC athletic director and head football coach. "We are committed to the health and well-being of our students, faculty and visitors, and know the addition of the new center is well worth the funding and effort it will take to improve our current physical fitness facility."

GMC's new Health and Wellness Center will also house four new classrooms for health and wellness instruction, an athletic healthcare and training lab, three separate spaces dedicated to weight and cardio training, an elevated track, staff offices, and locker rooms to support all the prep school as well as visiting soccer and tennis teams.

Phase two of the project will include the addition of a 100,000 square-foot convocation center, including instructional spaces, physical training spaces and offices to support instruction.

For information about the Health and Wellness Center and the school’s fundraising campaign, visit http://healthandwellnesscampaign.com.

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