My husband Russ and I believe in giving back to our community through service. The majority of our time and efforts go toward Kiwanis projects that benefit kids and schools throughout the region. A major project we are leading is to build the Kiwanis Amphitheatre at The Health Adventure’s new campus in Asheville, NC. It is a Carolinas Kiwanis District Project for North and South Carolina, and we are very excited about it.

Community groups we support & with whom we volunteer our time: ABCCM, AB Tech Foundation, Asheville Sister Cities, Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation, Journey Scholarship Committee, Salvation Army & the Boys & Girls Clubs, South College, The Health Adventure, and the WNC Arboretum, to name just a few!

Carolina Kiwanis District Project

Almost 9,000 Kiwanis members in the Carolinas District work diligently all year long to improve the lives of children - one child and one community at a time. But many children and families in the district continue to suffer despite their best efforts. The number of overweight and obese children has more than doubled in the last twenty years, and our region is experiencing increased rates of diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease. A report by Education Week this summer (Jun/07) gave graduation statistics for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and the numbers for our region didn’t look good. North Carolina graduates only 66.1% of its students, and South Carolina ranked last in the nation - 51st - with a graduation rate of only 53.8%. Perhaps United States Senator Richard Burr said it best, “We can pay a little now to educate people or a lot later to treat them”.

The Carolinas District of Kiwanis has the opportunity to improve the future of our children by teaching them the importance of a healthy lifestyle, increasing their opportunities for independent learning, helping them develop critical skills, and empowering them with lifelong patterns of good health. Toward that end, Kiwanis clubs in North and South Carolina are joining forces with The Health Adventure in Asheville, NC and have adopted a project to name The Kiwanis Amphitheatre at their new campus. Many members’ lives in the Carolinas District were touched by David Burnette, past Distinguished Governor of the Carolinas District. Kiwanians throughout North and South Carolina have related they were mentored by David, or served with him at the District level, or were simply inspired by him. David lost his courageous battle with cancer in September of 2006. The Kiwanis Amphitheatre Committee and members in the District felt it appropriate to create a service medal to honor his life and commitment to service through this project.

With its vision to improve lives through exploration, and values of fostering discovery, expanding knowledge and educational excellence, The Health Adventure has worked for 39 years to successfully fulfill their mission. As an interactive health and science museum for children and families, The Health Adventure engages minds - young and old alike - and promotes better health awareness through its programs and exhibits. THA currently serves nearly 100,000 on-site visitors and more than 30,000 others annually through outreach programs in 25 western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina counties. The Health Adventure unveiled its plans Tuesday for a new indoor and outdoor health and science park located just one mile from downtown on its own land. This announcement kicked off the public portion of the $25 million capital campaign, of which $10.5 million has already been secured through private, foundation, and government funding.

Once complete, The Health Adventure will move to its new permanent home and become an attraction known as Momentum: Science and Health Adventure Park. “The Health Adventure will remain open while we work toward building an environmentally friendly home of our own,” said President & CEO Paige Johnson. “We look forward to celebrating important milestones at The Health Adventure with the community, and love this project as an expansion of our mission. While Momentum will be a unique, first-of-its-kind attraction, it is infused with the same spirit and dedication that has made The Health Adventure a valued community center of engagement for nearly four decades.”

The high profile family destination is projected to serve more than 250,000 visi-tors in its first year of operation. The Kiwanis Amphitheater will be an important feature of the new campus, educating millions of visitors over time about Kiwanis’ work on behalf of children. The Amphitheatre will host a wide variety of audiences and programs, including educational classes, demonstrations, public performances, and more. Tremendous potential exists to coordinate educational programs between The Health Ad-venture and Kiwanis clubs working with schools in their area. With over 40 different pro-grams about physical and emotional health and related sciences, including peer pres-sure, substance abuse, dental hygiene, nutrition and more, Kiwanis Clubs in North and South Carolina will have a new resource to further their own mission of helping children in their community.

The project will be located on 10 acres of land that The Health Adventure cur-rently owns near the Asheville Botanical Gardens @ the UNCA Campus, and conveniently accessible to the I-26 corridor. In keeping with its history as an internationally acclaimed center for health and science education and experiential learning and play, Momentum will expand The Health Adventure’s current mission to include environmental science. “One of the key elements in our relocation is to emphasize our mission of including environmental education,” said Johnson. “As we move forward with our project, green building principles will be an important focus and will continue to evolve.”

PGAV Destination Consulting, the world-renowned St. Louis-based company responsible for the successful and innovative design behind Sea World, Discovery Cove and exhibits at the Georgia Aquarium, created Momentum’s design and concept together with key staff and volunteers. And while Momentum will be physically located in Asheville, it will have regional and national significance as a model center of community engagement and enrichment. Broadband technology will enable them to record and share their educational programs with schools across both states and the nation.

“Our health and wellness are intimately linked to the health of the planet,” said Joe Brumit, Chair of The Health Adventure’s Board of Directors. “This new indoor and outdoor attraction is the next phase in an organization that has served children, families and seniors since 1968. “We know now that our lifestyles and the choices we make about how we take care of ourselves impact the health of the environment. Likewise, the health of the planet impacts our individual and global wellbeing. Momentum will continue The Health Adventure’s mission to improve health awareness, promote wellness lifestyles, and increase science literacy. We aren’t changing our mission, we’re expanding it,” he said.

The Health Adventure was accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1985, and is also a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, the NC Museums Council, and the Southeastern Museums Conference. Kiwanis International was founded in 1915, and is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. The Health Adventure is a 501(c)3 organization, and all donations are tax deductible. Support may be forwarded to The Health Adventure, Attn: Kiwanis Amphitheatre Project, P.O. Box 180, Asheville NC 28802-0180.

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