Somerset man donates $1 million to University of the Cumberlands for new wellness center

Somerset Christian philanthropist Ward Correll has pledged a $1 million gift to the University of the Cumberlands that will go towards completion of the $6.5 million cost of constructing the Ward Correll Health, Wellness and Exercise Center.

University of the Cumberlands President Dr. Jim Taylor described the pledge as a "transformational gift" that will be a "significant and very substantial" addition to the University’s Campus Center. 

The Ward Correll Health, Wellness and Exercise Center will bring together the student center, the intramural recreational program, general exercise and aerobic exercise areas, a test and measurement laboratory, a community outreach room and a counseling area for nutrition, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stress management, emotional health, and smoking cessation.

The facility and its programs will be made available to residents in the surrounding area, thus promoting better health maintenance and improving the quality of life for those who remain underserved. University of the Cumberlands is committed to addressing serious health issues in the area, the University said in a press release.

Preventive health screenings and programs that address nutritional needs will aid in better health maintenance and help to lower healthcare insurance premiums, which is no small concern.

"In this center, we’ll tackle everything from fitness to stress management to smoking cessation," Taylor said.

Lectures on health topics will be a regular part of the programming and will be open to the public.

"We are committed to addressing the serious health issues in our area by providing greater opportunities for health maintenance through education and to encourage a healthier lifestyle by promoting proper nutrition and physical activity," Taylor said.

"Our goal is to educate our students, faculty, staff and community about a healthful lifestyle and to provide them the resources needed to put their knowledge into practice."

The center will be part of the addition onto the Boswell Student Center at the University of the Cumberlands. Excavation work for the new facility is currently underway, but it is unclear when actual construction will begin.

Since Kentucky ranks ninth nationwide in the number of deaths from the five leading chronic diseases: heart disease, cancers, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, one can understand why this project is a priority.