TDHS receives exercise gear

The weight training facility will be ready for student and staff use at the end of summer break, just in time for fall sports and weight training classes.

New paint, flooring, air conditioning and the addition of windows to the weight room are among the upgrades that were made through the Level the Playing Field project.

An added bonus is that the old equipment was donated to other schools. Dufur and Sherman County were two of the recipients. Bill Blevins, Principal at Sherman Jr/Sr High plans to put the equipment to use this fall. He reports that they received a squat rack, weight bars, and a dumbbell set from The Dalles High School that they are no longer using.

“This equipment represents a substantial upgrade in what we currently have in our weight room,” said Blevins.

“We are grateful to MCMC and The Dalles High School for the opportunity to offer our students and athletes the tools necessary to provide the best quality fitness instruction,” he added.

Fundraising for the Level the Playing Field project is being spearheaded by the Mid-Columbia Health Foundation whose vision is to build a healthy community.

“Much of what we do is for our patients and their families,” stated Celeste Hill-Thomas, executive director of the Mid-Columbia Health Foundation, “but in some cases our vision takes us outside of our hospital and clinic walls,” she adds.

And this is one of those cases. “Childhood obesity is a major issue in our community,” says Hill-Thomas.

In Wasco County 38 percent of children are considered to be obese, that is compared to 24 percent in the state of Oregon.

“One of the ways we can help is through prevention. A strong weight training program at the high school is just one more opportunity for our youth to stay active.”

She said additional benefits of a well supervised, appropriate weight training program are: minimizing injuries, maximizing performance, creating a team work ethic and improving self-confidence.

Funding for the $400,000 Level the Playing Field project is nearly 25 percent complete. The health foundation hosted a spaghetti feed in February bringing in $3,000; another $4,800 was donated to the program from the Color Dash 5K.

Color Dash, which brought in 1,000 participants, was a partnership between The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce and health foundation, and the first of its kind hosted in The Dalles.

“I’ve been contacting our local businesses owners as well,” said Hill-Thomas.

“Together those businesses have contributed $54,950 for the Level the Playing Field project.”

To find out how you can get involved contact Celeste Hill-Thomas at 541-296-7275 or email celeseht@mcmc.net.

Donations in any amount are appreciated and can be made online at www.mcmc.

net/mchf.