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HomeHealthOsage Nation holding groundbreaking for a Fairfax Wellness Center

Osage Nation holding groundbreaking for a Fairfax Wellness Center

By

Benny Polacca

The Osage Nation is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for a new fitness center in Fairfax on May 23 at noon.

The new fitness center facility will be constructed at 255 N. 1st Street next to the ON Language Center. ON government officials will be in attendance and other community officials and residents are also welcome to attend, according to an ON news release.

Plans for a new Fairfax fitness center come after the Nation successfully applied for a $800,000 federal Indian Community Development Block grant to build the 4,600 square-foot facility. The Nation paid a $250,000 matching cost for the grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after the ON Congress passed an appropriation bill for the amount in 2016. 

In a statement, Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said: “This facility will be available to the public for exercise and we are going to emphasize cross-training as much as lifting weights. The facility will also have health counseling rooms for information and guidance to confront health problems people may have, including diabetes, heart disease and other health related issues.”

The new Fairfax fitness facility will replace the current one located at 115 W. Elm St.

The purpose of the new site falls in line with two of Standing Bear’s goals for the ON, which are to “develop a comprehensive healthcare system” and “promote healthy communities through wellness initiatives and partnerships,” the release stated. The new building will be 4,609 square feet and will be completed in 2019 with a specific date to be determined.

The Nation is also announcing a May 24 ribbon-cutting celebration for the newly-built Hominy Wellness Center starting at noon. The new Hominy fitness facility is located at 1105 S. Eastern and will replace the current one located in the Nation-owned Industrial Park north of town.


Original Publish Date: 2018-05-21 00:00:00

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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