SUMMER HOURS through August 14

Monday through Thursday

4-7:30 p.m.

Class of 2009 Graduates free through August 14

College students 1/2 price through August 14 with college ID card

Hours : Monday-Friday from 4:00 -7:30

Note: Hours are subject to change.

Membership Rates :

$7- One month or $60 / year for age 62+, for county fire & rescue volunteers, part-time school and county employees, and for state employees who work in Rappahannock County (State Police, VDOH, VDOT, Etc)

$14- One month or $120 year for county residents

$23- One month or $180 / year for non-residents

$7- Per day for daily users - county residents, $10 for non residents

Note: Full-time school employees, full-time county employees and all K-12 students (students who reside in Rappahannock County regardless of where they attend school) may be members at no charge.

When the Rappahannock County Public Schools decided to apply for the Carol White PEP grant it was with the hope that by receiving such a grant the system would be able to create a new enthusiasm for fitness among our students, our employees, and in our community. RCPS / Headwaters Foundation Grant-writer Amy Silver O'Leary wrote the successful application for the federal Carol White PEP grant for nearly $150,000 of fitness equipment. The center opened in June 2004.

During the school day, the center serves as a physical education fitness lab. PE teachers of 8th, 9th, and 10th graders cycle their students through the rooms that contain aerobic equipment and free weights / universal machines. Many RCPS students now understand concepts such as Body Mass Index, Target Heart Rate, anaerobic and aerobic activities. Students use this new understanding to better design fitness programs for themselves and are taking advantage of opportunities to take fitness classes in increasing numbers. Students who take the high school's Personal Fitness elective classes in grades 11-12 now have a facility that is stocked with high quality equipment of the sort they will encounter in fitness clubs. Students have developed a familiarity with the use and benefits of the variety of equipment in the fitness center.

After school, the fitness center is open to the general public from 4:00 PM - 7:30 PM. All students in grades K-12 who live in Rappahannock County, public and private school students alike, are entitled to a free membership in the Rapp-fitness center, meaning that they have access to fitness opportunities in a safe, supervised environment after school hours. In a rural county such as Rappahannock this is an excellent resource for children. Adult community members have also responded enthusiastically to this opportunity and there are hundreds of community members who are part of the fitness club. The center is open year-round. Senior citizens, school / county employees, state employees who work in Rappahannock County and fire emergency services personnel are eligible for discounted rates to take advantage of the fitness center. The center is staffed daily by an adult supervisor who ensures that members utilize the facility in a safe manner. Some community members who had been driving to fitness facilities in towns twenty-five miles away are now able to complete exercise or rehabilitation programs close to home, thus saving time and fuel.

In addition to promoting community fitness, the PEP Grant-funded fitness center has had another positive impact. In a county where approximately seventy percent of adults do not have children of school age, it is challenge to get many community members- particularly retirees- to feel like they are stakeholders in the school system. The fitness center has helped many of our community members realize a tangible benefit from their support of the school system. Many community members who had never been to the county's high school now visit regularly to make use of the fitness facility. It is not uncommon to see fitness center members remaining at the school after working out to watch an activity or competition in which the students are involved.

There has been another very beneficial effect of the PEP grant that was not foreseen. Due in part to the PEP grant there has been a renewed interest in fitness facilities in Rappahannock County. The first space to be impacted was the former classroom space that was remodeled to house the fitness center. That change, however, led to increased discussion of the need for a track and field and a new gymnasium that would increase fitness opportunities. In 2006 Rappahannock County completed construction of a new gymnasium and a track and field complex at the school.

The receipt of the Carol White PEP grant enabled Rappahannock County Public Schools to implement important fitness programs and effect significant change. As with any program, the ability of an organization to sustain new programs and realize further gains is always of concern. In Rappahannock County there are clear indications suggesting that the changes brought about through the PEP grant will be long-lasting. One of the most important indicators of continued success is the enthusiasm of school personnel and community center members alike. School personnel routinely donate time to perform administrative and supervisory duties in the fitness center. Teachers and aides in the school system help staff the center. Community members demonstrate their ownership of the program by donating supplies the center needs. As a result of so many people making a commitment to the fitness center, the center has been able to provide regular hours of operation throughout the school year, summers and many school holidays.

Another reason for optimism about the continued success of the PEP grant-funded fitness programs in Rappahannock is the enthusiastic reception the programs have received from students. Each day between forty and fifty students make use of the fitness equipment. They exhibit great pride in the fact that their little school has a facility as complete as "RappFit". A generation of students is learning the importance of regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. These students will leave high school with a well-established good habit of working out. Quite simply, in Rappahannock it has become "cool" to exercise. Rappahannock County Public Schools has enthusiastically embraced its role as a center of fitness opportunities for students and community members alike. The support of the Carol White PEP grant program has enabled it do so.