Brian Johnson, Grand Forks, column: Wellness center brings out greatness in Grand Forks

By Brian Johnson

GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks area will be experiencing an exciting community achievement with Tuesday’s opening of Choice Health and Fitness.

This premier facility has been in the works for years; and like most ideas, it started with the “what if” and “maybe we could” concepts that evolve when visionaries get together and talk about possibilities.

I’ve been part of the Grand Forks community for a little over five years, and when I moved to town, the wellness center still was just a concept. About three months after arriving, I attended a meeting where the concept was turning into a plan.

I was intrigued and saw this as a way to introduce myself to the community and see what was happening in our area.

Today, we see what the concepts, planning and commitments of area business leaders and private citizens can do when an idea is acted upon.

Choice Health and Fitness not only gives our families a great place to enjoy being active, but also serves as a beacon to any business and/or family looking to relocate to Grand Forks. We are a thriving community with people who work together to make this a better place to live.

As a community banker, I wanted to be part of the plan in terms of generating support, but also to be there to ask the tough questions to make sure the project was not only doable but also sustainable. What I didn’t anticipate was seeing Choice Financial’s level of support rising to be the project’s naming sponsor.

But as the project evolved, so did our interest in seeing it happen. Here are some reasons why we ultimately decided to offer that level of support:

** Choice Health and Fitness is meant to be not just a workout facility, but also an institution that focuses on the health and well-being of our community and its residents as a whole.

There are significant partnerships within the building whose services will conduct research and provide preventative and rehabilitative care. We appreciate and applaud all the partners who believed in the concept and who came together to turn the vision into reality.

** Choice Health and Fitness is a place for people of all ages. Whether it’s for social gathering, self-improvement or providing specialty programs for our children and senior citizens, the center promises to meet many needs every day.

At Choice Financial, we invite our employees to take part in a company wellness program that promotes healthy and active lifestyles. We see this as a place for the community to have that chance as well.

** Our sponsorship is a way to say thank you for the support and business we have received from this community.

Choice Financial has been part of the Grand Forks community for more than eight years now, and we are grateful for people’s support in letting us serve their financial needs.

In the end, our support of Choice Health and Fitness is a way to show how our bank can give back to the community. Choice Financial’s mission states that we will “willingly share to better the place we live.” To us, this project closely aligns with what our mission represents.

Our hope is that Choice Health and Fitness fulfills Grand Forks residents’ expectations, becomes an important part of their daily lives and helps attract new families, businesses and professionals to our community.

We also hope it gives everyone from children to senior citizens a place to find friendship, activity and a healthier lifestyle.

Grand Forks should be proud this week, as the opening of this facility shows how an idea combined with leadership and effort makes our community such a great place to live and work.

In closing, I want to thank the Grand Forks Park District for its vision and drive to see this project through.

Also, those who have seen the facility — people from both inside and outside of our community — are amazed at the generous support offered by businesses and private citizens.

We thank them all.

What an impressive facility that will enhance the lives of our community members for generations to come.

Johnson is CEO of Choice Financial.

Tags: op-ed columns, choice health and fitness, choice financial, gf and egf, opinion, updates