From firehouse to fitness center

Firehouse No. 6, near the corner of Fairview Avenue and Liberty Street in Boise, is being transformed into a community and fitness center with a lot of help from volunteer students and adults.

P1000798Students from One Stone, a student-led service organization, have spent the last four Saturdays renovating two broken-down buildings. The students will be able to use Firehouse No. 6 for many of their service projects.

“We’re giving it a facelift,” said Julia Grief, a Timberline High School junior and a board member for One Stone. “My hope is that it becomes a fun place to learn and hang out.”

Capital High School teacher Sharon Boland, with two partners, purchased the old firehouse with the intent of making it a fitness and wellness center.

“It also will be a social networking place,” said Boland, a 23-year P.E. teacher who often works with kids who have special needs. “I want to help make my community better and there is no better way for me to do that P1000797than through kids and wellness.”

Firehouse No. 6 plans to open on Saturday, April 13, with a Zumba event open to the public.

One Stone students plan to use the space on April 19-20 for a self-esteem project called BeYOUtiful. The event, for about 30 eighth-grade girls, will include a workshop on building self-esteem, an overnight slumber party and a movie.

“The kids have all jumped in to help and I’m excited to for our long-term relationship,” Boland said.

 

Jennifer Swindell

Jennifer Swindell

Managing editor and CEO Jennifer Swindell founded Idaho Education News in 2013. She has led the online news platform as it has grown in readership and engagement every year, reaching over one million pageviews in 2019. Jennifer has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. She also has served as a public information officer for Idaho schools and as a communication director at Boise State University. She can be reached at [email protected].

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