The City of Dillon Wellness Center will be celebrating its fourth anniversary on March 31st.
The 40,000 sq. ft. facility has proved not only to be an asset to the community but to be life-changing for the members.
“I have been working at the Wellness Center for a little over three years now,” said Ronya Jackson, Wellness Center employee. “I have seen the changes the Wellness Center has been for so many people, and, of course, with weight, getting healthy, but more importantly with attitude and self confidence.”
Lake View High School Athletic Director Jewel McLaurin agrees. “The Wellness Center helps the town. It gets the people out of the house, lets them meet other people and more importantly, it helps their health. I’ve heard people comment that this place is really something for a town the size of Dillon. I’ve been coming for over a year and a half and really enjoy being able to work out in a place as nice as this…with all the different equipment that is available,” said McLaurin.
The Wellness Center has a fitness center with 2,000 sq. ft. free weights, shower/locker room, 2,300 sq. ft. aerobics room, 2,100 sq. ft. cardiovascular exercise equipment, a catering kitchen, office space, storage area, reception area, 12,000 sq. ft. gymnasium and two multipurpose rooms to serve the needs of the public.
Clyde Bailey, a volunteer firefighter, appreciates the equipment available at the wellness center compared to other places.
“I’ve been coming out to the Wellness Center since it opened. I have heart problems and worked out at the hospital before coming here. The equipment that they had at the hospital was like a drop in the bucket to what there is out here and that was great, but whether you have heart problems or not, it’s a great place to work out and the exercise is good for you. The Wellness Center and the City of Dillon Sports Complex are the best things that ever happened to this town!”
The two walking tracks are also a popular feature of the wellness center. It was one of the selling points for Michael Grice, an employee at Food Lion.
“Back in 2007 just after the Wellness Center was built, I walked at the playground with some people, and one hot July morning, I told them that this is just not for me,” said Grice. “There’s a new place just outside of town where you can walk inside that is air-conditioned, and you can walk all you want. That’s where I’m going.and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.
“Another good thing about it is that you don’t have to worry about stray dogs and what they are going to do as well as worrying about passersby in cars,” Grice added.
Walkers can choose between the track in the gymnasium (fourteen times to equal one mile) or another track outside of the gym in the wellness center (ten and one-half times to equal one mile). The temperature for walking indoors is kept at 69 to 70 degrees year round.
The wellness center has a trained staff with three personal trainers available to assist the public with their needs. Aerobics classes and massage therapy are also offered.
A dry sauna and showers are ready for public use, and the towels are always washed and ready. A dry sauna is located at the facility to give members a chance to unwind.
Cable television and wireless internet is accessible to those who want to stay connected while they workout.
Bobby Carter of First Citizens Bank is glad the wellness center is here in Dillon. “I think this place has saved a lot of lives! I think if they hadn’t built the center for the people of Dillon, our lives would have been shortened, because we wouldn’t be out here exercising and getting ourselves in better shape. It’s one of the finest facilities that I have ever been in.”
The Wellness Center is located at 1647 Commerce Drive in Dillon. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 5:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m., Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. For more information or to join, please call 843-774-5115, visit the City of Dillon website at http://www.dilloncitysc.com or see the ad in this Thursday’s issue.