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Home » Fitness » Exceptional Foundation to open doors at EAMC’s HealthPlus Fitness Center in September – Opelika Auburn News

The Exceptional Foundation of East Alabama is on its way to providing daily social and recreational activities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The organization announced this week that it will open its doors at HealthPlus Fitness Center in September with Dana Stewart as its first executive director of programs.

After hearing about the organization, the East Alabama Medical Center reached out to the board and offered them the unfinished basement of HealthPlus, a fitness center owned by the hospital.

Hospital staff then traveled to The Exceptional Foundation in Birmingham, the parent organization of the east Alabama branch, and came back with ideas of how to outfit the basement for the organizations use, said foundation board member Penny Foster.

The hospital will finish the basement and offer the organizations members access to all amenities, including the track, pool and workout rooms.

A large part of the organization's programming will include fitness, Foster said, adding that obesity rates are often higher for those with Down syndrome and other disabilities. Access to HealthPlus's facilities will make it easier for the organization to offer an array of ways to get participants moving.

The more variety of fitness that we can stick in there -- that they dont realize theyre actually exercising, but theyre just having fun -- the better it is for us, Foster said.

The location will also place those in the organization around community members who exercise at HealthPlus, allowing them to be part of the community rather than isolated in a separate building away from others, Foster said.

Executive Director

After more than 15 years of working in therapeutic programs, Stewart is entering the position with passion and plenty of experience to spearhead the organizations efforts.

Stewart began working with the therapeutic population in the Auburn City School system, but had always volunteered with the Special Olympics. In 2008 she began working for Auburns Parks and Recreation Department as director of the annual Therapeutic Summer Day Camp for teens and adults. A few years later she became a special programs coordinator and director of the Lee County Special Olympics.

With a background in nursing, Stewart said she always knew she would be a caregiver in some way. Once she began working with the therapeutic community, she just knew thats where (she) was called to serve and work.

Foster, who has known Dana for years, added that Stewart always looks out for the best interest of those with whom she works.

She is such a hard worker that she just works nonstop to make things better for our kids and our families, Foster said.

Though she is sad to leave some of her duties with parks and recreation, Stewart said she is looking forward to devoting her full attention to adults who have aged out of the school system.

My hope is just for everyone in the community to know that this is not an adult daycare, Stewart said, adding that they will follow a curriculum and be involved in various activities like serving at the food bank or nursing homes. There are never enough programs for this particular population. We all wake up every day with a purpose; this population needs to wake up every day with a purpose also.

Applications for participants will be available in April. For more information and to find out how to apply in April, follow the organization at http://www.facebook.com/TEFofEAL.

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Exceptional Foundation to open doors at EAMC's HealthPlus Fitness Center in September - Opelika Auburn News

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Home » Fitness » Exceptional Foundation to open doors at EAMC’s HealthPlus Fitness Center in September – Opelika Auburn News