Foundation grants $138,000 for center

Frontiersman

MAT-SU — Healthy living will be a little easier in Meadow Lakes.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation has presented a $138,000 grant to VFW Susitna Post 9365 to help develop the End of the Trail Activity Center (ETAC) in the Meadow Lakes area. The center will be located in the Meadow Lakes City Center at the intersection of the Parks Highway and Pittman Road.

Becky Huggins, VFW project coordinator, said work began on the project about a year ago, when VFW members came up with an idea to bridge the gap between seniors and youth in the Meadow Lakes area. Overall, the idea is that people of all ages can come together to pursue healthy living lifestyles and at the same time provide a beneficial and educational relationship among seniors, veterans and youth.

“I am so excited that it’s going to actually become a reality,” Huggins said.

Along with the health foundation and VFW, a number of organizations have shown support for the project, including Susitna Rotary Club, American Legion, AmVets and Mid Valley Senior Center, Huggins said.

Although the VFW is the main organization behind the project, Huggins said it wouldn’t be possible without support from organizations like the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

The foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations that aim to improve the health and wellness of Valley residents, said Vince Curry, chief executive officer of the foundation.

“We’ve really only been around making grants for two and half years,” Curry said. “So we started from zero and in the last two and half years we gave over $2 million in grants to programs that will benefit people in this community.”

Curry said the $138,000 is just part of a $315,000 grant the foundation will give for the development of the ETAC — a center he said is much needed and appreciated.

“What we saw was some real vision here to create a community center and activity center in the Meadow Lakes region, which is currently under-served in terms of that infrastructure,” Curry said.

Curry said the foundation awarded the grant because the center will provide a place for people of all ages to gather in a healthy environment and peruse healthy living choices.

“We felt it met our mission right on the nose, so we are very pleased to be able to present the check for the development of the first phase,” he said.

Huggins said phase one includes remodeling the current space in the city center and opening the activity center with initial exercise equipment like treadmills and stair-climbers. The center will also include a climbing wall. Although an opening date hasn’t been established, organizers hope to have the center open by summer.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.