Everything You Need to Know About the New Outdoor Fitness Court
- Visions
- Oct 25
- 3 min read
Images/Written by Johanna Foudy The Ribbon for the new Outdoor fitness court was officially cut on October 16th, 2025. Here is everything you need to know about this event and the exciting new campus facility.
Ribbon Cutting
The ribbon-cutting ceremony began with Todd Sorber, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, who played a very active role in the development of this project. As Mayor Sayegh said during his speech, “In Todd we Trust.”
Todd Sorber’s speech was then followed by five other speakers, including Dr. Steven Rose (PCCC President), Dr. Kineavy, Mayor Andre Sayegh, Jonathan Pearson (Executive Director of the Horizon Foundation and Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility of HBCBS NJ), and Jazmin Cortes Sandoval (PCCC SGA President). All of their speeches emphasized the importance of overall well-being and the opening of the fitness court’s mission to ensure that it happens.
Following the speeches, Professor Ann Deblinger coordinated a warm-up routine with her students and the PCCC panther mascot, before Tiago DosSantos moderated a fitness court demonstration with a few PCCC athletes, showing the audience how to use the fitness court and access the official fitness court app. The fitness court has seven stations with exercises ranging from beginner to advanced, and can be done in any order.
After a successful demonstration, the wellness fair in the courtyard opened, accompanied by a musical performance by Prinkipo, a musical ensemble inspired by Mediterranean, Balkan, and Middle Eastern music.
Several wellness services and providers were present at the wellness fair, including providers such as St. Joseph’s Paterson and the Health Coalition of Passaic County. All of which contributes to the mission of improving overall wellness for all.
Story Behind the Project
The idea for the outdoor fitness court was initially proposed in the fall of 2023, when Dr. Kineavy, Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, was contacted by the national Fitness Campaign about the possibility of building one. The NFC offered an initial grant for the project of $30k, and PCCC, alongside the PCCC Student Government Association, spent the next two years raising money for the project. In addition, there were several other contributors to the project, including Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey, the Bolger Foundation, Blue Foundry Charitable Foundation, Citizens Philanthropic Foundation, and the PCCC Foundation. There are currently eight other Outdoor Fitness Courts in New Jersey that Horizon has selected, and the NFC, and there is a chance of more being planned.
Inspiration Behind the Project
The importance of overall wellness is the main inspiration behind the outdoor fitness court. When asked about it, Todd Sorber stated, "…unless PCCC students and local residents have good physical, mental, and emotional health, they are unlikely to achieve their educational, personal, and career goals.” Emphasizing that wellness comes first in success in all areas of life.
In addition, in Paterson and its surrounding communities, there are much higher health risks, such as chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Referencing one of the speeches during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, proper diet and exercise are one of the main parts of preventative healthcare. A healthy lifestyle is one of the main ways to prevent these diseases, and the new outdoor fitness court is one way to assist in that mission.
Hopes for the Project
With hopes that the Outdoor fitness court will continue to be used by students, faculty, staff, and residents for years to come, and besides emphasizing overall well-being, Sorber also has other hopes for the outdoor fitness court project.
The fitness court is just one of many aspects of the larger courtyard improvement initiative. To elaborate, Sorber stated, “…[PCCC] also established a performing arts staging area, where college and community groups can host a wide range of cultural and performing arts programs such as musical performances, poetry readings, and outdoor theater.” Additionally, there are plans to add a garden to beautify the area and add other infrastructure for the fitness court. In other words, the fitness court is just the beginning of improvements to the courtyard, and students have much more to look forward to!
Hours of Operation
The Hours of Operation are still being determined. Once this information is finalized, details will be released to the college community and the public.
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