Ada Family Wellness Center Ribbon Cutting
ADA -- Officials of the Chickasaw Nation and guests celebrated the grand opening of the Family Life Center Monday, June 21.
The 30,000-plus square foot center is located at 280 West Seabrook Road in Ada. The facility features a gymnasium, swimming pool, walking track, weight room, training kitchen, as well as aerobic and martial arts exercise areas.
"Wellness education is so important and that's one reason we're excited and thrilled to have the opportunity to open this Family Life Center," Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby said at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
"The Family Life Center facility and the services it presents to Native Americans are extraordinary," said Gov. Anoatubby. "The Family Life Center will offer a safe place for children and parents, friends and neighbors to have fun and improve their health."
The Family Life Center is the new home of the Ada Wellness Center. The center offers Cybex strength equipment, free weight equipment, treadmills, Arc trainers, ellipticals and stair climbers. The Wellness Center will host aerobic and aquatic classes at the new facility.
The Wellness Center is free to Chickasaw citizens, tribal employees and their immediate families. The Wellness Center is open to the general public for a fee.
Hours of operation for the Wellness Center are Monday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. The Wellness Center is closed on Sunday.
The nutrition services department is also located in the new facility. The department offers food demonstrations and hands-on cooking classes. A registered dietitian is available for individual counseling and informational presentations.
A large training kitchen, located inside the new facility, is equipped with state-of-the-art appliances. Inside the training kitchen are eight individual cooking islands so students can follow along and learn about food preparation. Each cooking station includes a sink, dishwasher, gas cook top and oven.
The focus of nutrition services is to equip families with knowledge and skills to make healthy nutrition choices to prevent chronic diseases, like obesity and diabetes.
Also housed in the new facility are departments within the youth and family services division. The martial arts department and the camps and recreations department are located in the west end of the facility. In July, youth and family services will hold the annual Boys and Girls Youth Basketball Camp at the new site.
The new center also features out-patient physical therapy, which has nearly doubled in size from its previous location. Physical therapy is located on the east side of the building and has treatment rooms, cardio equipment, whirlpools and many other amenities.
The Family Life Center was modeled after the world-renowned Lifestyle Centers of America in Sulphur. The architect for the project was EWC-1 and the contractor was Mac Hill Construction.
