Winnipesaukee Wellness Center hosts open house

MOULTONBOROUGH — A little history: In May of 1999 two residents of Moultonborough, Winter Hames and Reuben Turner, thought the area north of Laconia would be well-served by a fitness center geared towards seniors. They approached the President of LRGH with their idea, a site was selected on Bean Road and Winnipesaukee Wellness Center was born. The Center opened for members for the first time on January 17, 2000. It provided a local gym where cardio and pulmonary rehabilitation could be supervised by registered nurses. An advisory committee helped guide the center through its years of operation and a restructuring in 2004. This is when the Center became a self-supporting department of LRGHealthcare. In December, 2009 the Center moved to a new location at 78 Whittier Highway, with supervision by RN’s, EMTs and Advanced EMTs.

In 2020, WWC went through another big change. It is now completely separate from the hospital and the Center’s board of directors has formed a 501c3 non-profit to continue service to area residents. It has moved to a bigger studio, added more equipment and is now open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with a staff member present during hours of operation. It is open to all ages with no medical supervision, but is handicapped accessible.

WWC has had a unique relationship with the surrounding towns of Meredith, Center Harbor, Sandwich and Moultonborough. These towns have donated much needed money to the Center to help offset operating costs. These funds, along with member’s monthly fees have provided a place for neighbors to meet, exercise, stay fit and have fun.

Winnipesaukee Wellness Center officially opened in its new location at Harbor Square Village, 60 Whittier Highway on Nov. 1. The board is inviting all residents to come to their Open House on Friday, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the new facility and join their neighbors for a tour of the gym.

For more information, call 603-253-1839.