Vaughan Center to Hold Three-Day Extravaganza

Visit the Vaughan Athletic Center any day of the week, any week of the year, and you get the feeling that life is a 24/7 celebration.

That’s because it is, at least for the 11,000-plus members who utilize this fantastic facility on a regular basis. Being active and enjoying exercise not only makes for a healthy body, but a sharper mind as well. Each workout is an exercise in mood elevation.

Even though these folks are full of endorphins and in party mode all year, there’s always room for a little more excitement.

A three-day weekend is in order. Member Appreciation Weekend will be held next Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 21-23), with each day featuring an extravaganza of activities, fun events and giveaways.

It’s a tripleheader party themed around many of life’s most important pursuits—health, wellness and fitness.

Better yet, the entire weekend is free and open to the public, so even first-time visitors will feel welcome, as if they’ve just walked into a gigantic home gym with all the bells and whistles.

It kicks off with a day of complimentary (and healthy) snacks and refreshments next Friday. Be sure to enter the prize drawing to win a bountiful gift basket—winners will be announced Monday.

The nightcap is a Zumba “Party in Pink” from 7 to 9 p.m. A suggested donation of $5 or more gets you into this high-octane class and, more importantly, will help benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation supporting breast cancer research.

But do pace yourself, because that’s just the warm-up to an action-packed weekend. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, the exhibits and information will be flowing with a health fair featuring upward of 30 vendors. Learn valuable and beneficial insights about everything from massage therapy and foot screenings to health supplements and nutrition.

At the same time, visitors can check out a group exercise class for free. At least 15 classes will be held, including several new offerings that include Restorative Yoga, Nia Jam and Yoga for Athletes & Muscle Recovery.

By Sunday, it’s time to make the party even bigger and allow members to bring their friends for Free Guest Day. The featured event is a new one—Pump N Run—in which participants will bench-press a percentage of their body weight (based on age and sex), and then run a 3K. For each bench press repetition, participants earn 10 seconds off their 3K time.

“It’s not so much a competition as it is a measure of general wellness,” said recreation supervisor Lisa Peterson.

When it opened in 2005, the Vaughan Athletic Center was seen as spacious and inviting. It’s lived up to that billing. Now it averages more than 1,000 visitors every day, with 22,000 day passes sold on an annual basis and 15,000 participants who take part in various programs.

While it’s still a youthful six years old, the Vaughan Center delivers lifetime benefits, and next weekend’s free party in the pursuit of fitness tops the list. Consider it a community-wide invitation to better health.

Jeff Long is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District. Contact him at jlong@fvpd.net.