Elma, Iowa

Elma Area Wellness Center (EAWC)

2012 Young Professionals project

Elma Area Wellness Center (EAWC)
 ALWAYS TAKING MEMBERSHIPS!  Leave us a message @ 641-393-0062 and a volunteer coordinator will return your call to answer questions or schedule your membership sign-up & orientation tour at our facility located at 501 Busti Avenue in Elma. Open to members now!  Must have an electronic key-card for access. Read below to learn how the EAWC project came to be.
For complete information on the facility, its equipment (including our new outdoor fitness equipment!) and class offerings, please visit our site at www.elmawellness.com
A local group of individuals came forward in April 2012, stemming from the Young Professionals Group to determine interest in a community-based fitness center. After positive feedback from fitness surveys sent to Elma area residents in late May, it is becoming a reality!   The name of the new facility is The Elma Area Wellness Center, Inc. or EAWC for short, to be  located in the former Red Wagon building 501 Busti Avenue.  501c3 non-profit corporation status is applied for, articles of incorporation are written and the board of directors established.  Original board members are shown above; current board members include: President-Jamie Gansen, Treasurer-Brad Shatek along with other members  Jan Kruger,  Jennifer Rapenske, and Deb Schroeder.  The building underwent massive remodeling, utilizing mostly volunteer labor (to date more than 1000 volunteer hours went into this project!  This will be a non-profit community center, run by volunteers, and open 24 hours per day/7 days per week to members utilizing an electronic key card for access.  Hours worked will qualify for high school silver cord/community service or confirmation service hour requirements!  Contact board any board member listed above to join! Initial fundraising of over $100,000 has been achieved for the building reconstruction & purchase of equipment.  However, there remains a "wish list" for additional equipment or comfort items (fans!) for the EAWC as well as future construction needs including a handicap-accessible entrance that will require additional donations going forward.  Please make your tax-deductible contributions payable to BRIDGE with EAWC noted in the memo section and mail to EAWC at P.O. Box 35, Elma IA 50628. The winner of the logo designing contest was Josie Gansen.  Also from the many designs submitted, an EAWC motto was chosen "Good for you.  Good for Life." submitted by Kelly Bodermann.
New members always welcome!  Please support this community endeavor!
Please read the FAQ (frequently asked questions) sheet  below and continue to check back here as updates for this project become available.
FAQ sheet

Golf

Maple Heights Golf & Country Club

Course opens in the Spring, watch for news!!!

Elma is home to a beautiful 9-hole public golf course. 
Mens Day league is every Tuesday beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Ladies Day league is on Wednesdays beginning at 1:30 p.m.  in season. 
Friday nights the course offers Couples night, with a variety of unique games and meals afterwards. 

For more course information please contact Maple Heights @ 641-393-2120 or visit their website (golfelma.com) to access the tournament schedule link.

 

Maple Heights

Recreational Trail

Recreational Trail

The Old Roundhouse Trail is a hard surfaced, .44 mile trail from the Elma Trailhead Visitor's center to the Elma City limits. The Old Roundhouse Trail now connects to the Wapsi-Great Western Trail for a nearly 26-mile trek northwest of Elma; past Lylah's Marsh, the ghost town of Acme, and through the communities of Riceville & McIntire.  Plans are still underway to  further extend your riding/walking adventures going on to Austin MN, making it a roughly 77-mile long trail system once merged.  Currently, only 1 mile separates the Wapsi-Great Western & Shooting Star trails, so watch for future news on the progression of merging these two trails as well.

 

Click on the links below for more information about the Wapsi-Great Western Trail system including newspaper articles about it's progression, also a link to the Shooting Star Trail which is yet to be connected to the Wapsi-Great Western Trail.

 

 Elma's Old Roundhouse Trailhead Visitor Center is  at the north depot area, near the covered bridge in the center of town on Busti Avenue.  There you will find a public restroom, drinking fountain, as well as a place to rest your feet & read up about the Elma area.  The Visitor Center is open seven days a week, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. in season (roughly May-September).  Trailhead signage and landscaping in that area was completed as an Eagle Scout project of a local Elma Boy Scout. 

Wapsi-Great Western Trail Shooting Star Trail

Roller Skating

Elma offers a Friday night youth roller skating program each winter. Look for the 2018-2019 season details later this Fall. Skating times are: 6:00-7:30 p.m. for ages 0-3rd grade 7:30-9:00 p.m.4th grade through adults Please obey grade levels, but call us if special circumstances (such as new to skating or the need to supervise a younger sibling). Cost is $2.00 per person, which includes skate rental. You may bring your own roller skates, but please NO roller blades! NOTE: If school is cancelled due to weather or in case of extreme wind chill, skating will be cancelled for the night. For more information, phone Kris @ 641-220-4933.

Snow Mobiling

Local snowmobiling groups  and contact info is as follows:

Drift Runners Club, Matt Minear phone 563-380-7142

Stump Jumpers Club, Dan Ptacek phone 641-393-2273

Wisdom & Wellness

Summer Youth Program

Wisdom & Wellness is a free opportunity offered through the Elma Early Childhood Center for northeast Iowa families.  Wisdom & Wellness offers organized activities in conjunction with nutritious snacks.  Registration takes place in May, program runs in June. Contact Elma Early Childhood Center at 641-393-2028 to learn more or to register for the Wisdom & Wellness program.
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