CHS to unveil new fitness center

When Canton High School completed its multi-million-dollar renovation project in the fall of 2005, many observers and visitors to the school wondered what would become of the massive yet sparsely furnished “Room 303,” which was tucked away on the second floor above the athletics department, directly across from the glitzy new library/media center.

Now, more than five years after the grand opening of the school building itself, school officials will proudly unveil the new and vastly improved version of Room 303 — a fully equipped and modern fitness center, named in honor of the late Scott Herr (CHS ’09).

Featuring state-of-the-art technology and an impressive selection of new and refurbished workout machines, the Scott Herr Memorial Fitness Center was slated to open to students and staff sometime this week, with a “symbolic grand opening,” originally scheduled for last Thursday, being held this evening at 6:30 p.m.

Canton Public Schools’ wellness coordinator Peter Boucher, who spearheaded the project in partnership with CHS athletic director Danny Erickson, said tonight’s brief ceremony was put together mainly as a way to thank all of those who have contributed to the effort over the past three years.

“This is really just an event to celebrate the people who have helped this project come to fruition,” said Boucher, adding that the fitness center would still be just a dream if it weren’t for “a number of generous donors and contributors.”

Included at the top of that list are Scott Herr’s parents, Joe and Linda Herr, who chose to put every cent of an anonymous $50,000 donation that had been pledged in their son’s honor toward the creation of the fitness center.

Herr, a former three-sport athlete and an honors student, was just 18 when he was killed in a traffic accident last January in upstate New York. But he made a major impact on his school and community in that short time, and therefore his family wanted to do something that would honor his legacy for years to come.

“Scott always wanted to make a difference and I think this is a nice way to keep his memory alive,” said Joe Herr. “It’s a great tribute to a great young man.”

Joe said his family has not yet seen the inside of the new center; however, they are thrilled that the School Committee voted to name it in Scott’s memory and they are certain that Scott will be smiling down on them at tonight’s grand opening.

According to Boucher, other key donors included the Rodman family, who spent “well over $5,000” to have all of the school’s old fitness equipment restored to like-new condition; the Canton High School Alumni Association, which donated $2,500 to purchase what Boucher described as the fastest computer he’s ever seen; and the CHS Booster Club, which donated a brand-new 60-inch flat screen TV that will be used to stream music and movies and, hopefully, enhance the overall workout experience.

“We want to be on par with an authentic fitness club,” explained Boucher, who also wanted to extend a sincere thank-you to various members of the school’s maintenance staff for performing some of the electrical work and for installing a sound-reducing floor that he described as “state of the art.”

As it stands, the fitness center is filled with over 25 pieces of workout equipment, including five exercise bikes, six treadmills, an elliptical machine, a pull-down machine, and two brand-new Hammer Strength power racks. Along the back wall, there are various Life Fitness machines geared toward specific exercises, such as the arm curl, shoulder press, and seated leg press.

Boucher said some of the wellness classes at the high school have already begun to use the facility, including the new “Personal Wellness” class for sophomores under the direction of teacher Tom Bresnahan. The course, which teaches students to design their own fitness program, makes use of a “cutting edge” software program called Fitnessgram that allows parents to track their child’s progress from home.

In addition, Boucher and CHS assistant principal Henry McDeed recently started a 6 a.m. “breakfast club” for staff members interested in working out before school, and there are plans currently in the works to offer a weekly program to senior citizens through the Canton Council on Aging.

Boucher said there is also a “sincere intention and belief” that the center will have open hours for the community at some point down the road; however, he said there are a number of security issues that would have to be addressed first, including finding a way to restrict access to other parts of the school building.

In the meantime, Boucher said the fitness center will be open to students and staff immediately after school and to sports teams beginning at 3:30 p.m. He added that all participants, regardless of age, will be required to complete an orientation process to ensure proper use of the equipment, while all students will be required to obtain permission from a parent or guardian.

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