20th Anniversary Special Edition e-Newsletter
Welcome to our Special Edition Newsletter!  As we celebrate our 20 Year Anniversary this newsletter features highlights of this year as well as takes a look back at the past 20 years and what we have accomplished with the help and support of the wonderful Walker Community! Thank you everyone for being a part of our WIFC Family!

2018 marks our 20th year and we are thrilled to be able to serve over 2000 members in the Fitness Center. We also are home to more than 300 families who participate in the HAWK Hockey program.

Our Adult Hockey program sees about 50 teams each year. These teams also participate in the Walker Cup Tournaments several times yearly. WIFC is also home ice to Kenowa Hills High School Varsity Hockey.

Walker Recreation Department works with more than 800 children in the soccer program, 60+ teams in Adult Softball and 1000’s of residents for the Easter Egg Hunt, Memorial Day Parade and the Senior Bowling Tournament. And let’s not forget the Skary Skate, Pumpkin Bash and Winter Fest events!

WOW, that’s a lot of people! We are proud of what we have accomplished over the past 20 years and we want to thank you again for standing with us to make Walker Ice and Fitness Center stand the test of time.
20th Anniversary Summer Celebration!
Join us as we Celebrate 20 Years Strong in the Walker Community! We are having a party and you are all invited.  Our Summer Celebration is Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 5:00-7:00pm. 

This is a FREE Family event including:
  • Figure Skating Exhibition
  • Presentation from Mayor Huizenga
  • Free Ice Skating
  • Hockey Slap Shot Game
  • Ring a Flamingo Game
  • Bean Bag Toss Game
  • Tattoo Hut
  • Photo Booth with ‘Mr. Strong’
  • Make a Lei Craft Table
  • “Copsicles” with the Walker Police Department
  • Dance party
  • Raffles for adults and kids. 
  • Our Recreation Department will also be on hand to help you sign your child up for Fall Youth Soccer.

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at 11:00 am, we will be hosting a Senior Bingo/Trivia Party. Come and enjoy some refreshments, play Bingo and Trivia and win some prizes. Sign up at the front desk.  
Did you know that when we opened 20 years ago, our GYM MEMBERSHIP prices were exactly the same as they are today? We are proud to be able to offer you the same amazing value as we did back in 1998!
What's your favorite thing to do at WIFC?
Ice Skate / Play Hockey
Work out in the Gym
Take a Fitness Class
Play soccer or play on an adult softball league
Enjoy the numerous parks, trails and playgrounds in Walker
Participate in Events like Winter Fest, Easter Egg Hunt and Skary Skate
Do you know someone who wants to start exercising but needs motivation? Tell your friend to stop by WIFC and sign up for a Free 7-Day Trial*

They can try the classes, machines, saunas, steam rooms, track child care. It’s always more fun to work out with a buddy and it keeps both people motivated and accountable!

After the 7 days they can join for a low monthly fee and NO CONTRACTS!
*must be 18 years of age, local resident and first-time visitor.

New Marked Walking Trail

Thanks to the Walker Youth Commission and the Walker DPW we now have the trail outside our building marked with a Start, 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, and 3/4 mile markers!

The trail is a beautiful running/walking path that is shaded in spots and has benches along the way.


Co-ed Fall Youth Soccer

Boys & Girls: Ages 5-13
Cost: 5 & 6 year old age group
Walker Resident-$30  Non-Resident-$40
 
Cost: 7-8, 9-10 & 11-12-13 year old age groups
Walker Resident-$40  Non-Resident-$50
*$5.00 discount for each additional family member
 
Register: www.walkericeandfitness.com or call (616) 735-6286
Deadline: July 31, 2018 ( $10.00 late fee charged after July 31 deadline).
Senior Walking Club

June 2018 marked the beginning of our Senior Walking Club. Each Wednesday a group of about 40 seniors are gathering to walk outside on the newly marked trails. 

After 5 Wednesdays of participation, each person will have earn a t-shirt and every person will be entered into a drawing for a gift card at the end of the summer. 
Come on out and join the fun!

Do You Remember?!
The Storm of the Century!
WZZM 13 wrote the following article regarding the “Storm of the Century.”  This storm delayed the opening of Walker Ice & Fitness Center from August to November, 1998. Debris from the building was all over the property including Remembrance Road.

WZZM TV 13 on May 1998 derecho in Michigan
Early on Sunday, May 31, 1998, a line of severe thunderstorms raced through Lower Michigan, resulting in four deaths and $172 million in damages, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

The line of thunderstorms was a derecho, defined as a widespread line of straight-line winds with embedded severe thunderstorms.

In the late evening of Saturday May 30, 1998, a low pressure system lead to severe thunderstorms popping up in eastern South Dakota. These storms later evolved into a line of thunderstorms, gaining speed as they traveled through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Just before 5 a.m. Sunday, the line of storms arrived on the shores of West Michigan. The line was moving east at 70 mph, and took just over two hours to cross Lower Michigan. Along with four casualties, 146 were injured and almost 300 homes and businesses destroyed. Around 860,000 were left without power.

Thirteen counties were declared a Federal Disaster Area, including Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon. Among the hardest hit communities were Walker and Spring Lake. Both had estimated straight-line wind speeds of 130 mph, which is comparable to the wind speed of a strong EF-2 tornado.

The 1998 derecho traveled almost 1,000 miles across five states, leaving behind nearly $300 million in damages total, six fatalities and almost 2 million customers without power.
July is National Parks & Recreation Month!

It’s time to recognize the importance of parks and recreation in establishing and maintaining quality of life within our community for all ages. 
                       
What is National Park and Recreation month?
Since 1985 Americans have been celebrating National Park and Recreation month in July. As our Walker Recreation Department recognizes and celebrates this month, we also are encouraging you to get outside, explore local parks and enjoy outdoor activities!

Why celebrate parks?
  • To find connections across communities: Access to parks is equally important as ensuring the presence of parks and has the power to connect several communities.
  • To support the environment: Parks play an important role in the environmental health by cleaning water, preserving wildlife, and offering a refuge to humans and animals throughout the seasons.
  • To explore local ecosystems: Did you know that parks are not just plots of grass? Sports fields, beaches, trails and many other spaces can be parks offering a host of recreation opportunities!

Why get active outside?
  • To increase children’s chances of success in school: Kids with access to safe parks and playgrounds are more likely to engage in physical activities - kids who are physically active do better in school.
  • To contribute to the maintenance of a healthy weight: Local parks and recreation departments help promote physical activity.
  • To have a more positive outlook: Spending time outdoors reduces stress and improves mental health. Exposure to nature improves creativity, decreases stress hormones and calms aggression.

Contact our Parks & Recreation Department for locations of our parks or for information on our recreation programs at 616.735.6286 or at www.walkericeandfitness.com . Help us celebrate National Parks & Recreation month!
Learn to Play / Learn to Skate

Make sure to mark your calendars for the Fall Session Learn to Play and Learn to Skate. It begins Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 10:00 am. 

These classes are designed to provide a fun and safe skating experience for the beginner as well as the more advanced skater. The cost is just $85 for 7 sessions when you register early.
Silver Sneakers and Silver & Fit

If you are 65 or older, you may qualify for a Free Gym Membership.   Silver Sneakers is a program through Blue Cross Blue Shield and Silver & Fit is a program through Priority Health. 

These programs provide you the benefit of a gym membership at no cost to you. Walker Ice and Fitness Center gets paid for your membership on a per visit basis. We get paid when you come in to work out. So make sure to come often! Contact your insurance company today to see if you qualify.
Walker Ice and Fitness Center
4151 Remembrance Rd. NW
Walker, MI 49534
Phone: (616) 735-6286