By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer

ASHWAUBENON – The new fitness center now under construction at Ashwaubenon High School will be the beneficiary of a $60,000 contribution from Prevea Health to outfit the area with new fitness equipment.

The Ashwaubenon school board agreed Wednesday, Aug. 8, to accept the donation, which Prevea will pay over a four-year period.

AHS Principal Brian Nelsen said the donation will cover the cost of new equipment to furnish the fitness room.

“With that, it will include some interior naming or signage as it relates to Prevea,” Nelsen said.

Under the terms of the agreement with Prevea that will be in effect until 2030, AHS will brand the fitness center by recognizing Prevea’s name at both the new commons entrance and the entrance near doors on the inside of the building.

In addition, Prevea will work with Activities Director/Assistant Principal Nick Senger in wrapping two of the fieldhouse doors with the Prevea image, which will also be displayed inside the new fitness center.

District Business Director Keith Lucius said the district will be using its fund balance to purchase the fitness equipment, so that Prevea will be able to donate the $60,000 over four years instead of in a lump sum.

“We’ve done that with other donations, because businesses don’t want to have that lump sum in one year,” Lucius said. “We will front the money. We did that in the Jag field and quite a few of the donations…”

Once completed, the new fitness center will be used by students during physical education classes and the district’s co-curricular athletic teams. The donation from Prevea will be used to cover the cost of items such as free weights, benches and racks for training and exercising.

Lucius said construction on the fitness center and equipping the facility should be finisheed sometime during the 2018-19 school year.