Shopping at grocery stores is often made more pleasurable by the unexpected consuming of a tasty morsel known as a free sample. Now the Okotoks Recreation Centre is taking the concept a step further by throwing their doors open to people curious to try something new.
“We’re calling it the Fall Fitness and Activity Sampler Week,” said Janette Messer, Okotoks’ community programs team leader.
During the week of Sept. 16 to Sept. 23 anyone can go to the centre and try some of the specially scheduled classes and activities at no charge. It’s an opportunity for local residents to dip a toe into activities before they dive in and register for a program or buy a rec centre pass.
Messer said this free trial event should have something for everyone.
“We have aquatic-based programs, we have fitness classes, drop in gymnasium activities, skating and hockey drop in times,” she said. “The big kick-off event is actually going to be our teen dance which is going to be Friday, Sept. 16 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ”
The rec centre is also giving it’s existing facility pass holders the chance to bring someone along for free to any of the fitness classes the pass bearer is registered in. This includes things like yoga and pilates classes offered by Natural High Fitness and Athletics.
“We finished the expansion to the rec centre three or four years ago and we have never done any kind of community event like this,” Messer said of the sampler week. “We just wanted to make sure that everyone kind of knew what was going on here at the rec centre. We run amazing programs and activities all year round but because the community has grown so fast, so quickly, it was just time to put something like this into place.”
Organizers hope many of the recent arrivals to Okotoks will take advantage of this opportunity and learn there are many things they can do at the recreation centre, eliminating the need to run off to the big city to find activities to enjoy.
The adult fitness classes for the event are being offered through Town of Okotoks instructors like Summer Langstraat.
“I will be teaching some classes including a yoga fusion, a strength and stretch and a total body burn,” she said.
Langstraat, who is a new member of the Okotoks Recreation Centre team, said she’s fully on board with people taking a look before they leap into fitness and activity programs.
“I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “I think with lots of people they’re hesitant to try something if they have to make a full commitment. But once they try a few things once they’ll probably find instructors they like and classes they really want to be a part of. So I think this week is a really great opportunity for people to come see what we have to offer and for us to show off our awesome talent.”
For a complete schedule of sampler week activities go to www.okotoks.ca/recreation.aspx
