Northern Vermont University-Johnson to Celebrate New Wellness Suite at Homecoming and Family Weekend
Northern Vermont University-Johnson will celebrate the new Wellness Suite of rooms in the SHAPE (Student Health and Physical Education) Center as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend, September 10-12, 2021.
The Wellness Suite project was made possible by a lead gift from local friends and supporters, Peter and Evelyn Fuss. “We were happy to support this project because we believe in the power of higher education,” Peter said, “especially for first-generation students attending a state university, and in helping NVU to meet the goals of student-athletes and serving the community.”
The project created two new rooms in the fitness facility: one dedicated to stretching and core work and the other to group exercise classes. In addition, the ground-level area was converted from an underused racquetball court to a strength and conditioning facility. The new spaces have been named in honor and memory of alums Peter Albright ’80 and Gary Sudol ’82.
A fundraising campaign in fall 2020 received $45,000 in donations from 109 donors to equip the rooms for student and community use. Alumni, student-athletes, staff, and community members from 17 states gave gifts of all sizes; the project also received a grant from the Green Mountain Fund and a donation of equipment from Concept2. The board of directors of the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame offered a matching gift to the campaign and many alumni tapped into their networks to fundraise. The NVU-Johnson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee offered a donation to complete the campaign.
The Wellness Suite Celebration will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 11. Refreshments and tours of the space will be available. For information about the full slate of Homecoming and Family Weekend activities and to register for all events, see NorthernVermont.edu/JohnsonHomecoming.
Note: All visitors to NVU campuses age 12+ must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, masks are required for all under age 12, and general masking mandates may be in place. Please see complete NVU COVID-19 guidelines at NorthernVermont.edu/COVID19.