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Community Corner

MOMentum Gets Moms Moving

MOMentum wants to help moms in Auburn's Les Grove Park get in some 'me' time while their children play.

Being a mother in today's world can be exhausting. Work, childcare and cleaning can take priority over other needs, like excercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

When Seattle native Paige Green Dunn realized she needed help losing her pregnancy weight after the birth of her son, she turned to Sassy Fit founder Kelly Singer for personal training. It was during their sessions that the two began talking about helping other moms get healthy.

“One day we were talking about ways to give back to the community and helping get families out to the great parks in this area instead of sitting in front of the television, when we realized that we were seeing a lot of moms taking their kids to the park and then sitting on benches drinking lattes,” said Dunn. “We drove around to many (local) parks and heard the message loud and clear -- moms wanted exercise equipment installed in the park near the playground, so they could have access to a free workout while their children played nearby.”

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Singer sees the potential for a lifestyle shift for moms who can be active and within reach of their children at a public playground.

“I believe healthy mothers raise healthy communities,” said Singer, who is pregnant with her first child. “If we can make it easier for a mom to exercise with quality equipment, she will become the foundation for a lifetime of healthy choices for herself and everyone around her.”

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Dunn, whose husband Reagan Dunn is running for Washington State Attorney General, felt that Les Grove Park in Auburn was a perfect fit for MOMentum’s first installment.

“Kelly and I noticed that they had a new Discovery playground, a library, a senior center and a museum... the park was buzzing with activity,” said Dunn. “Plus, the Auburn community is really rallying around a Get Fit Program that has the schools, business and government employees cooperating in getting (Auburn) citizens in shape.”

Singer and Dunn met with Daryl Faber, director of the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department last year, who was already seeking ways to put fitness in the hands of everyone in Auburn.

“Right now, there are 200 kids on that playground with 50 parents sitting around them doing nothing,” Faber said. “So to have a healthy outdoor outlet for exercise and kid’s play is a natural nexus and a great fit for us. Since the equipment will be installed this fall, hopefully the weather will hold and people can come to the park and use it.”

Once they'd figured out which park to put the equipment in, Dunn and Singer started working hard on fundraising and raising awareness of the project by speaking to the Auburn Kiwanis and participating in Kids Day in Auburn.

"We started a fan page on Facebook and built a website, momentumeverywhere.org, and we researched where to buy the equipment, which took a lot longer than expected, because we struggled to find a company that would give us a good deal," said Dunn. "We finally found Kompan, who are selling us the exercise equipment at cost. The equipment will arrive mid-September, and will be installed right away, but we don't have a specific date yet."

Dunn and Singer said that the weather-safe exercise equipment includes an elliptical-style machine called a freerunner that uses kinetic energy to work, so it doesn’t need electricity. There will also be  a machine that works on the “muffin top” area of the waist and hips, push up and stretching barres and a machine called the captain’s chair, which allows users to do leg lifts and abdominal exercises.

The area will include three rubber mats with a sign posted nearby detailing exercises that can be accomplished on the ground.

Though they’ve partnered with the Seattle Parks Foundation and other individuals to raise the funds necessary to buy the equipment, Dunn said that MOMentum is still hoping to raise $15,000 in the next few months. The adult exercise equipment is worth $20,000 altogether. They also have the endorsement of Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, Senator Joe Fain, Auburn Chamber of Commerce Director Nancy Wyatt and King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer.

“I sponsored one piece of equipment in honor of my son Hayden’s second birthday,” said Dunn. “But we’re in a crunch right now because the equipment will arrive in the fall, so every dollar counts toward getting that equipment bolted down near the playground.” The women are prepared to pay out of pocket for the equipment if they aren't able to raise the funds by September.

Though MOMentum has a goal of establishing 10 exercise areas in King County, Singer and Dunn say they will solidify their timeline for another park only after Auburn’s equipment is installed and paid for.

“We’ll take some time to learn from this project, and listen to moms about what they want and need to make it even better,” said Singer.

“Our motto is that healthy moms raise healthy families,” adds Dunn. “So we have to focus on making that a reality wherever it’s needed most.”

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