MORAN Volunteers Larry Ross and Nelda Cuppy expected theyd see plenty of people working out when Morans 54 Fitness center opened last year. But neither expected to see so many of their neighbors by their side, helping to renovate a former filling station turned steakhouse turned workout center.
They scrubbed floor tiles caked with dirt. They caulked windows and repointed the outdoor brick wall. They built and painted walls and hung doors. They set up fitness equipment. When work needed to be done, a volunteer could be found to do it.
I think everyone is willing to help but sometimes they dont think about it, Ross said. It takes someone else to say, Would you like to join me to make this community better.
Cuppy agreed. All you need to do is call on them. People I wouldnt have thought of, people whove never been involved in anything before, have been very helpful.
Neither Ross nor Cuppy could estimate just how many total volunteers helped convert the building into a fitness center. Volunteers came and went as needed. City employees also joined the action, whether it meant fixing the parking lot of painting signs. City employees continue to help with lights, maintenance, enrollment, camera monitoring and more. Community volunteers continue to help as well and serve clean-up duty on a rotating basis.
It really was a community effort, Ross said.
The project began after residents and Moran PRIDE members identified the need for more opportunity for physical activity. The idea grew from community conversations, sponsored by Thrive Allen County under their Community Engagement Initiative. Damaris Kunkler, Community Engagement director, said Thrive surveyed residents to determine interest for the project, then used results from that survey to obtain a $25,000 grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City. The grant was used to purchase exercise equipment, surveillance equipment and electronic key fobs for the entry system. They also connected with Gratz Peters, owner of Petes convenience stores, who donated space for the center.
Kunkler considers Ross and Cuppy among the many unsung heroes of the project. Ross was recognized by Thrive for his work on the center, especially in painting, scraping and building whatever was needed. Cuppy coordinates volunteers who clean and maintain the building.
For the most part, the fitness center project is a success. Organizers expected theyd have 40 or 50 members. Instead, 131 people purchased memberships. About 25 of those come from out-of-town, including truck drivers who park nearby and want to work out while they wait. The city collects monthly $10 dues, which residents can add to their utility bills.
A few kinks remain, however. The unexpected high demand means city employees spend much of their time overseeing the center, doing such things as reviewing video surveillance or resetting the computer system that controls electronic key fobs.
The center is open from 5 a.m. to midnight. It gets frequent use, Cuppy said. Organizers want to add more equipment. They also want to build on the success with other community projects, like the move of the Moran Library to the former Moran Baptist Church, planned for Saturday, or the Marmaton Market cooperatives efforts to purchase Stubs Market.
If you have one success, hopefully another will follow, Cuppy said.
Ive seen a real up-tick in community involvement, Ross said. It could be this economy or the impact Thrive is having in our area. All you need is that connection and working together to make life better.
Ross appreciates having the facility in town, especially now that hes retired and the building is just a short walk from his home. He estimates he sees more of his friends and neighbors at the facility in the past year than he did when he was working.
He said hes grateful for the chance to help bring the fitness center to Moran, not just because of the opportunity to improve his health but for the chance to better know those in his community.
