The National Fitness Campaign (NFC) recently awarded $30,000 to the Oak Lawn Park District as part of its annual grant program in the 2020 Healthy Cities Campaign.
The NFC grant program is designed to activate public spaces by connecting trails, well-placed pedestrian infrastructure and community meeting points with a central outdoor gym facility that brings free, world-class fitness to everyone.
The Fitness Court® is a state-of-the-art, digitally connected platform for adults of all ages and abilities to develop healthy habits and maintain long-term wellness. Red Bull ranked The Fitness Court® one of the best gyms in the world, and now one is coming to the Oak Lawn Park District’s Lawn Manor Park, 108th & Kostner Ave., in Oak Lawn!
Ground is expected to break in Fall 2020 (weather dependent).
The Oak Lawn Park District was also a recipient of a $400,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant, administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), for additional renovations to Lawn Manor Park
Planned renovations include a new playground, added benches and drinking fountains, walking path, an accessible route and seating to the existing baseball fields and a new electric panel to light the field. Plans also include the addition of a musical garden and butterfly garden with educational signage, picnic shelter with a green roof, an outdoor fitness court, and splash pad. Replacement of the basketball courts with two half courts, tennis court repairs, paint on 4-square, and the addition of the community’s first stand-alone pickleball courts.
These elements were discussed by community members and their inclusion was driven by residents’ input and supported by their 2018 Parks and Recreation/Master Plan.
A timeline for construction and completion is to be determined.
Residents can download the free Fitness Court App now on iOS and Android to see all the ways the new Fitness Court can support outdoor functional fitness activities.
To learn more about the 2020 program, residents can visit the NFC website at nationalfitnesscampaign.com.