Lamoureux Park gym now in city hands

Cornwall Mayor Leslie O'Shaughnessy cuts the ribbon to the Rotary Outdoor Gym on Thursday, Sept, 22, 2016 as members of both Cornwall area Rotary clubs look on. The gym is not officially part of the city's infrastructure. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)

CORNWALL – Rotarians from both Cornwall-area clubs officially handed over the Rotary Outdoor Gym in Lamoureux Park Thursday afternoon.

Master of Ceremonies Jeremiah Point talked about the very proud sense of volunteerism between the Rotary Club of Cornwall and the Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise in getting the project to completion.

It’s been nearly three years in the making with the ceremonial groundbreaking in early December 2015.

“The city came together, saw our kind of dream and helped us make it a reality. Our rotarians from both clubs went out into the community and got people to actually give the money that needed to be taken in to make the project work,” Tom Everson of Rotary Club of Cornwall Sunrise told Cornwall Newswatch.

“A thank you to everyone who’s made it work. There’s a few people sit down and have an idea and to have it come to fruition like this is really very wonderful, it’s what Cornwall is all about,” Everson said.

Roughly 60 club members, politicians and others were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

There is still some fundraising needed for the outdoor gym project.

Roughly $80,000 of the $100,000 project was raised and sponsorship bricks surrounding the athletic facility are still being sold.

This is the first phase of a two-phase project, which could see satellite workout stations along the Lamoureux Park waterfront trail in the future.

Rotarians Sebastian Warner and Pat Clarke demonstrate a piece of equipment at the Rotary Outdoor Gym on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 during the official handover of the Lamoureux Park workout facility to the City of Cornwall. The rotary clubs still need to raise around $20,000 through sponsorships to cover the project. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)
Rotarians Sebastian Warner and Pat Clarke demonstrate a piece of equipment at the Rotary Outdoor Gym on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 during the official handover of the Lamoureux Park workout facility to the City of Cornwall. The rotary clubs still need to raise around $20,000 through sponsorships to cover the project. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston)