By Sarah Richardson
At the latest White Sulphur City Council meeting, councilmembers and public attendees heard an exciting update from Greenbrier Valley Family Activity Center Boardmember Warren May on the ongoing efforts to bring the Center to a reality.
The Center, which was first presented to council in late 2021, will be installed at Dick Gunnoe Memorial Park, and will boast a new indoor gym with an aerobics area, a large multipurpose space for games of volleyball or pickleball, a second floor running track, game room, classrooms for community programs, office areas, a dining area, lobby, kitchen, lockers, outdoor concession stand, and outdoor storage for the sports fields. It will have space for basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, batting cages, a running track, table games, and bicycling. It will also have a lobby space for afterschool programs, educational classes provided by WVSOM, community health training, and more.
The new facility will be located between the parking lot at Dick Gunnoe Memorial Park and the football field, which will be bumped away from the parking lot to make room for the new building. The 25,000+ square foot structure isn’t the only addition to the park, however. Plans are underway for outdoor basketball courts, a new playground, outdoor pickleball courts, an accessible fishing trail off of the jogging path, an outdoor deck and activity area, and a new bicycle obstacle course located between Greenbrier Avenue and Howards Creek.
The GVFAC is a collaboration between the City of White Sulphur Springs, a passionate volunteer board, and the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation, together with support from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Their vision is “to create a modern investment in the health of our community encompassing mind, body, and spirit,” with a goal to “make the Greenbrier Valley the healthiest community in West Virginia” and attract new residents and businesses to the area.
May reviewed the details of the GVFAC Commission with councilmembers, and clarified that the Center will be ultimately owned by the City of White Sulphur Springs. May explained that an LLC was established so the GVFAC Commission can raise private funds for the project, and to oversee the construction, development, and the operating program for the Center. This means that there has been no cost to the City of White Sulphur for the work completed thus far, and that it will be able to operate independently without any financial dedication from the City.
“We have the goal to ultimately deliver to the City what will be a finished product of about $3.5 million – debt free. This whole project will be paid for,” announced May. “I’m proud to report that commitments from just 20 individuals at this stage of the game – we haven’t gone on broad base with our fundraising campaign – we stand now north of 75 percent of the total commitment in hand with commitments made.”
He said there are also efforts underway to secure state and federal grants, with the West Virginia Osteopathic School assisting in the grant application process. He detailed that the GVFAC Commission will not be able to access any City funds and will be solely reliant from the monies held by the Greenbrier Community Foundation. Ongoing operation funds will be provided by variety of sources including rental fees, facility utilization by groups and teams for classes and other events, monthly memberships, tournament fees, and fundraising events held by the GVFAC. He noted that monthly dues can place a burden on area families, so they are looking to provide a scholarship program to help cut costs for those who qualify.
“The whole thought behind the Family Activity Center, and those that have rallied to the cause, is an ongoing mission- our guiding light- to improve the health and wellness of kids and families in this community, in the Greenbrier Valley,” said May. “We have been completely stunned by the outpouring so far.”
“There is no question in my mind, with all that is going on in White Sulphur Springs, and all that is happening on Main Street, this is just one more reason that somebody might decide to live here. It’s badly needed, the timing is perfect to pull it off with all the energy, and it’s really grown since the flood,” said GVFAC representative Tom Crabtree in 2021.
WVSOM Director of Community Outreach Julian Levine and WVSOM Vice President for Community Engagement and Development Drema Mace Hill were also present at the 2021 meeting, and said that WVSOM was excited to be involved with the center.
Levine said, “[WVSOM] is excited to be here both in the long haul and in the short term.” He explained that the school plans to get feedback from the community about programs that would benefit the White Sulphur area, and WVSOM will work with the community’s needs.
“The goal of the project is to make White Sulphur Springs and Greenbrier County the healthiest community in West Virginia,” said Crabtree. “Now that’s a tall order, but we have a really great group of people.”
“We are thrilled to think that we can have this facility right here in White Sulphur Springs, to enhance the view and the vision and the growth, and the downright peace that comes with knowing there is something that helps the kids and families of this community,” said May.
