“Pathfinder Village helps people find their
way in life to independence, success, and
maturity — all the things you want for your family.”
Marian Mullet | Founder of Pathfinder Village
Pathfinder Village Receives Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Award
EDMESTON, NEW YORK, December 5, 2017 … Pathfinder Village Foundation recently was awarded a Community Fitness Award by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in support of memberships at the Clark Sports Center, Cooperstown. The memberships create opportunities for residents and students with developmental disabilities to experience a wide variety of fitness activities at the newly renovated fitness facility, and encourage individuals to work toward personal health goals.
Eve Van de Wal, regional president of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, said, “Our company’s Community Health Awards demonstrate a corporate commitment to support local organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan. These awards complement our existing grants and sponsorships with agencies that work to enhance quality of life, including health status, in upstate New York.”
Pathfinder Village Foundation will receive a $2,000 award, and was selected along with 11 other regional non-profits. In all, Excellus will allocate $36,000 to help fund health and wellness programs in a 14-county region through the current round of Community Health Awards.
“We are grateful to Excellus BlueCross BlueShield for partnering with us as we encourage people who receive services at Pathfinder Village to stay focused on keeping fit,” said Paul C. Landers, President and Chief Executive Officer at Pathfinder Village. “Studies show that people with developmental disabilities can greatly improve their health and outlook through inclusive fitness programs; the benefits of physical training activities are enhanced when these programs take place in community-based settings among non-disabled peers.”
Each week, Pathfinder School students swim and bowl at the Clark Sports Center, and Village residents use the Cooperstown facility frequently for Special Olympic sports practices and personal training sessions. At other times, students and adult residents take advantage of outdoor facilities and the Center’s state-of-the-art climbing wall. The Sports Center reopened in June 2017 after undergoing a two-year, $20 million renovation and expansion project that included a new lobby, fitness center, group fitness rooms, three swimming pools, and renovated racket sports courts.