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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2025
BENTON HARBOR, MI - On Monday, June 16th, the City of Benton Harbor in partnership with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, Priority Health and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) will unveil its newest quality of life addition, a sleek and modern outdoor Fitness Court® with a supporting mobile app located at 110 Water Street. This capital project is a featured part of a 2022 initiative launched by NFC, a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to plan, build and fund healthy infrastructure.
This year, the City of Benton Harbor and dozens of other select recipients from around the country were awarded a grant from NFC to help support the program. In addition to grant funding, a city match and local sponsorships from Priority Health, Corewell Health Foundation Southwest Michigan and the Whirlpool Foundation contributed to make the project possible.
“We are pleased to encourage health and well-being for residents and visitors of the City of Benton Harbor by partnering with the National Fitness Campaign to open the Benton Harbor Fitness Court® in the city limits,” said Mayor Marcus Muhammad. “Our goal is to provide a space that supports free access to fitness and creates a sense of belonging among those who use the equipment.”
The new Benton Harbor Fitness Court® on Water Street is an open-air wellness center that allows users to leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout. Created with adults of all ages in mind, the Fitness Court® is adaptable for all fitness levels. New users can also download the free Fitness Court App — a coach-in-your-pocket style platform — that transforms the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness ecosystem. The Fitness Court App, entitled “Fitness Court”, is available for iOS and Android.
“At Priority Health, we believe all people have the right to a healthy life and that’s why we are committed to investing in the community to help reduce barriers to free, accessible fitness and improve wellness for the neighbors of Benton Harbor,” said Shannon Wilson, vice president of population health and health equity at Priority Health. “We are excited to partner with the city of Benton Harbor and the National Fitness Campaign to open this Priority Health Fitness Court as we continue to expand on this initiative across the state.”
National Fitness Campaign developed the trademarked seven-station system in 2012 hoping to inspire municipalities to transform public spaces into community fitness hubs. There are currently 150+ active Fitness Court® locations across the country, all formed with collaboration in mind.
Each Fitness Court® bridges the space between community gathering, works of art, and fitness. With the addition of Benton Harbor, this marks the third location in Southwest Michigan and the second in Berrien County.
Residents are invited to attend an Opening Day Launch Event on Monday, June 16th at 3:00 p.m. to try the Fitness Court® and learn about upcoming community wellness events and programming. In addition to the opening of the Fitness Court, the City of Benton Harbor in collaboration with the Benton Harbor Arts Association, Downtown Development Authority, and Cornerstone Alliance will officially open their Social District.
For more information, visit https://nationalfitnesscampaign.com/michigan.
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