Amazing first year for Wrightstown wellness center

Jan. 31, 2019

By Ed Byrne The Brillion News

WRIGHTSTOWN – Monday marked the first anniversary of the opening of the Wrightstown School-Community Wellness Center at Wrightstown High School.

The first year was an amazing one, and center director Brenda Schanhofer said it was also a surprise – because no one really knew what to expect.

“This was all so new to us,” Schanhofer said. “We had gone to a few other ‘like’ facilities, but we didn’t have an exact replica. At the open houses, we were absolutely overwhelmed in the best possible way by the number of people who came through our doors.”

The facility had strong numbers of people using it in the first three months. As the weather outside warmed up, the use of the facility went down.

“But the real test for us was what were we going to look like in the fall,” she said.

That was after the novelty had worn off, and Schanhofer wondered if the community commitment would return to the levels shown in the first three months of 2018.

She knew that student use would be high – from physical education and health students, and from fall sports participants.

Those on weight training programs had been using the facility all summer.

“The community members are the tipping point for success for us,” she said. “The numbers have consistently exceeded expectations.”

The facility’s rolls show 2,000 members. That number includes high school students and faculty, but that number is under 500.

The first calendar year saw about 40,000 member visits.

The demographics of users are interesting too. Working adults are in early – from 5 to 6 a.m. – before they head to work.

Retired folks come in from 8 to 10 a.m.

“It’s very consistent – the groups of people who come in at set times,” Schanhofer said.

Please see the complete story in the Jan. 31, 2019 print edition of The Brillion News.