Didion, headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, has donated $53,000 to the reopened Cambria-Friesland Fitness Center.
In 2017, the space was just a weight room with outdated equipment when Didion stepped up with a $50,000 donation for renovations and upgrades in 2018.
Didion donated an additional $3,000 in May of this year.
“The initial $50,000 investment from Didion helped us modernize and create a safe environment,” said Wyatt Tramburg, Cambria-Friesland principal/school counselor and fitness center supervisor.
“The list of what we were able to do with that money is long," continued Tramburg. "It includes updated flooring, squat racks, multiple weight stack machines, and a four-way cable machine. The new cardio equipment consists of treadmills, ellipticals and bikes that offer streaming music and televisions. We were also able to upgrade lighting and create a secure entrance for members.”
Today, both the school and community use the fitness center. Coaches and athletes use the fitness center and physical education teachers educate students on lifelong health and wellness skills. In addition to student-athlete use, the community has embraced the center.
“Nearly 300 people from the community – not including student-athletes – call themselves Cambria-Friesland Fitness Center members and the number keeps growing,” said Tramburg.
The recent $3,000 Didion donation combined with a contribution from the Cambria-Friesland Booster Club, allows the center to purchase more rubber-coated weights, a hip sled/leg press machine, a pec fly/reverse delt machine, and replenish their fitness bands and safety clips.
“Schools are the heartbeat of small communities, and being able to provide an incredibly affordable, nearby fitness center for members of our community has always been important,” said Tramburg. “Having a strong community partner to support this, like Didion, has given our community access to better health and wellness.”
Giving better access to health and wellness
“We have amazing student-athletes in our area, and they deserve the best to hone their skills and shine on and off the field,” said Riley Didion, CEO. “We also know a strong community starts with access to essentials like quality food and housing and a way to stay active and focus on living well.
"The Cambria-Friesland Fitness Center helps provide one part of what we think are essential pillars of a great community. State and federal funding can be hard to come by, so we are honored to have helped bring the vision to life.”
Having accessible fitness equipment has led to increased utilization, particularly among female student-athletes, according to Tramburg. There are more than 1,000 monthly check-ins from community members and student-athletes.
What’s next for the Cambria-Friesland Fitness Center?
Tramburg says they plan to continue to cycle out older equipment for newer equipment and hope to offer group classes if funding allows.
“We’d love to be able to find a way to offer group fitness classes in the evenings to continue to support members’ health and wellness goals while also offering a social space to promote well-being and togetherness,” said Tramburg.
Student-athletes, the public, and businesses share the vision to continue growing the fitness center into a hub for healthy living and healthy communities.