 Hello, Columbia. Welcome to our edition of Telling Our Story Exploring the Parks. I am your host, Wanda Austin Herndon. Join us as we explore our parks. Hello, Columbia. Welcome to Telling Our Story Exploring the Parks Episode 2. Today, we're here at beautiful Charles R. Drew Wellness Center. So come along as we take a tour of the Charles R. Drew Wellness Center. The city of Columbia acquired the 10.5 acres of land from the Seegers family in 1944. It was originally Seegers Park, which was named after the owner of the land of the time. Seegers being spelled S-E-E-G-E-R-S versus the Seegers Park we have for the fireflies. However, in response to efforts by locals to achieve more representation for the name of the park, it was renamed posthumously in 1952 for Dr. Charles R. Drew, a prominent African American surgeon who was a pioneer in the field of blood transfusion. Drew Park opened in 1946 as the 10.5 acres segregated recreational space for African Americans. Drew Park was known to be the best facility for African Americans in the city of Columbia, including a public swimming pool, which opened in 1950, the first for African Americans in the city. The swimming pool was a special point of pride for Drew Park due to the neighborhood's highly successful men and women swimming team, the Drew Park Sharks. Neighborhood youth also enjoyed access to a spray pool, baseball, softball, and football field, tennis court, and picnic areas. I worked in the summer of 87 for Nathaniel Stevenson, who still runs the pool here, and he ran a tough pool back then, and it made for a very safe and wonderful place, and he still runs a tight ship here. Being back here from mild days at the Drew Park swimming center is really nice, and to walk back in and see Steve here years ago is like a warm welcome. Today, Drew Park includes the Charles R. Drew Wellness Center. The Charles R. Drew Wellness Center, a 40,000 square foot facility, was built in 2005 in partnership with Prisma Health, the Columbia Housing Authority, and many other community partners. This facility offers the community a modern swimming pool, a gymnasium, a track, and a cardio workout center, as well as exercise rooms and swimming lessons. We have every type of class here. We try to make a really variety schedule for that parks and recreation field. So you have yoga, you have Pilates, you have Zumba, you have mixed fits, we have cardio classes, we have weight classes, we have water aerobics, so we really encompass anybody and every level of fitness out there, we have it all. Just coming and being able to do what I want to do, picking and choosing with the exercise schedule, you can pick whatever class you want, you know, if the class is something you want. You can walk, you can work out, you can walk outside, just a variety and a flexibility, and I think it's something like five or ten minutes from my house too, so very convenient for me. The park also provides playgrounds, a splash pad, a walking jogging track, and open green space for hosting community festivals and events. I like the atmosphere, I like the people, it's like a little family, you get to know people. It's work out, but it's socialization too, especially in retire to get you out of the house. Unfortunately, I lost my husband in 2018 and truly it is a family. The Drew Wellness team was there for me, they came to my house, they visited it, so like I said, it's more than just a fitness center. It's an extension of family also. Anybody that hasn't come down here, I think you're just missing the deal of lifetime as far as the price to work out in a high quality facility, pool, gym, track, basketball courts, everything is here, so come on down, you're gonna miss it if you don't. Just a wonderful place to be, come join us, have a good time, like I said, join the family. As with all our parks, our mission here at the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation is to change lives through a cultural, a transformational leadership, innovation, and phenomenal customer service. Thank you for joining us today, and please join us in the future for more episodes of telling our story, exploring the park. And remember, we are Columbia Park.