CORE (Calisthenics Outdoor Recreation Equipment) – Alex Caviness ’20

After over three years in the making, the CORE (Calisthenics Outdoor Recreation Equipment) finally opened on September 26! I joined the project during my first semester of college. Esteban Mendieta ’18, Gabriella Kroska ’18, and Matt Lowry ‘18 started the project a year or two before I began at UNC Charlotte. Before we submitted our project proposal and budget, we spoke with on-campus and off-campus partners and designed the equipment. Manufacturing, landscaping, installation, design, and Recreational Services and Facilities Management brought the value of the project to $120,000 – $125,000. Part of this project was completed as a civic engagement project, and $32,000 of Levine funded grant money was contributed to assist with the overall costs. The project took two years to implement and was completed this fall. 

The opening, replete with sample workouts, an exercise challenge, and of course, T-shirts, was a fun way of celebrating what was, for me, a monumental milestone in the project. I was ecstatic to see so many people turn out for this space which we had spent so long trying to bring to campus. I’m glad to see students excited about outdoor, functional fitness, and I look forward to being able to use the equipment. Most of all, I hope to return in the future to see the C.O.R.E. well used and even further developed through the civic engagement projects of future scholars!