APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – The Thompson Center on Lourdes is finalizing its move and rebrand as it moves to a new location on College Avenue in Appleton, with a donation campaign underway.
Soon to be known as the Mary Beth Nienhaus Activity Center, the space designed for adults over 50 will officially open at 3000 East College Avenue in June.
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The project cost roughly $6.5 million, and a matching challenge is underway to finish the funding, courtesy of the Activity Center’s namesake and campaign champion, Mary Beth Nienhaus. The donation challenge can be found here.
Board Member Ray Zuelke spoke highly of Mary Beth Nienhaus, citing her passion for the senior community.
“With all her philanthropy, this is the largest project she’s ever sponsored in her many years of doing this,” Zuelke said. “When she walks in here, she just livens the place up.”
The senior-focused space features wellness programs, pickleball courts, technology-equipped classrooms and other activities to promote healthy aging for those looking to avoid isolation as they grow older.
Executive Director Dawn Gohlke said the Mary Beth Nienhaus Activity Center has hundreds of programs year-round, and that people who visit will no doubt leave with multiple new friends.
“We have over 350 unique programs we do every year,” Gohlke said. “That could be anything from yoga, tai chi, cards, pickleball and so much more.”
Gohlke said that as people get older, social isolation starts to occur, and with roughly 1/3 of the Fox Cities population soon to be 55 years or older, and the Mary Beth Nienhaus Activity Center is here to help.
“Social activity helps improve your health,” Gohlke said. “It helps affect serious health issues like diabetes, cancer and coronary diseases. That’s why the Mary Beth Nienhaus Activity Center is so important, we offer something for everyone.”
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Representatives from the Activity Center gathered in January initially for a ‘wall-breaking’ ceremony to celebrate as construction ramped up ahead of its opening, and now they’re celebrating the final stretch.
The Mary Beth Nienhaus Activity Center is set to open in June. Its new website is available here.
