https://www.parwc.org/our-work daily 0.75 2026-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/aaed6d19-9843-4d05-8f0f-41b78bc1c883/Kid+Stretching.jpg Our Work - Filling an Urgent Need. In 2019 the Palo Alto Park and Recreation Commission created a Recreation Opportunities Ad Hoc Recreation to begin discussion regarding facility needs. To answer the question “what goes in a gym”, the Ad Hoc toured other gyms in the area, talked to city recreation staff about current requests for indoor space that could not be filled, and contacted indoor sports user groups about their needs. Flexible space is critical for multiple sports and wellness programs to accommodate a variety of sports activities and recreation/fitness programs, along with the ability to store sports equipment and easily set up for multiple sports and recreation/wellness programs. Basketball Volleyball Indoor Soccer Badminton Table Tennis Indoor Pickleball Gymnastics Tai Chi Judo Dance Fitness Programs Heart Fit for Life Weightlifting & Exercise Equipment Community Meeting Space Exercise Classes for All Community Suggestions https://www.parwc.org/our-board daily 0.75 2026-08-10 https://www.parwc.org/about-us daily 0.75 2026-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/8e8683c1-f6f0-4a60-8f19-f4502cc94b6e/Soccer.jpg About Us - Story of the Palo Alto Recreation & Wellness Center The vision for a Palo Alto Recreation and Wellness Center began with the City of Palo Alto’s 2017 Parks and Recreation 25-Year Master Plan, which identified expanded indoor recreation space as a high community priority and a high ticket cost. Members of the Palo Alto Recreation and Parks Commission, including Ed Lauing, Keith Reckdahl. Jeff LaMer and Anne Cribbs recognized the growing need for accessible indoor recreation and wellness facilities serving residents of all ages. From the beginning, the goal was to create a public-private partnership, modeled after successful Palo Alto community partnerships such as the Junior Museum, supported by a nonprofit “Friends” organization dedicated to advocacy and fundraising. An ad hoc group began meeting to engage community experts and explore three key questions: What should a Recreation and Wellness Center include? Where should it be located? How could it be funded and operated? The group researched recreation and wellness centers throughout the region and examined the growing demand for indoor recreation space in Palo Alto, including long waitlists and limited availability at aging Cubberley and other facilities. Site visits to gyms and recreation centers helped shape the vision for a modern, flexible facility. The Friends of the Palo Alto Recreation and Wellness Center Board was formed, with Articles of Incorporation and bylaws submitted and approved. The nonprofit was incorporated on August 30, 2022, applied for 501(c)(3) status shortly thereafter, and received federal nonprofit designation in December 2022. In November 2022, the project was presented to the full Parks and Recreation Commission. A subsequent Palo Alto Weekly front-page story generated significant community interest. Following that article, a prospective donor contacted then-Mayor Tom DuBois expressing interest in supporting the project with a transformational gift toward anticipated costs. City representatives and supporters visited Stanford’s Maples Pavilion and adjacent practice facility as part of the exploration process. Although the donor sadly passed away in January 2023, the strong community need for a recreation and wellness center remained clear. Based on community research and planning, the concept evolved into a one-story, approximately 37,000-square-footfacility featuring: Three basketball court-sized gym spaces Exercise and wellness rooms Multi-purpose classrooms Community gathering areas and café space Several potential locations were explored over time, including Greer Park, the Ventura neighborhood, and land adjacent to the Baylands Athletic Center. Ultimately, Cubberley emerged as the preferred location and the Friends organization was invited to help “kickstart” the Cubberley redevelopment effort as one of the City’s first major public-private partnerships associated with the site. Today, the project is estimated at approximately $40 million, with a lead naming opportunity envisioned at the $25 million level to anchor the campaign and partnership effort. The Friends Board continues to meet monthly and has maintained a fiscally conservative approach, relying on donations and volunteer leadership while advancing planning, community outreach, and fundraising efforts. Over the past years, the Friends have cemented an important relationships with the City of Palo Alto Community Services, confirmed the use of one acre at Cubberley on land the City currently owns, has a building plan based on extensive research, and a builder who will work with the Friends to build the facility, avoid cost overruns, delays and changes – the Friends have the partnership, the land, the builder and are now committed to seeking funding from the community to achieve our vision – Building Community, Inspiring Wellness, Creating a Legacy. The Friends remain committed to helping build a Recreation and Wellness Center in Palo Alto that will serve families, seniors, youth, and future generations and help to contribute to the new Cubberley Center – a once in a lifetime opportunity in Palo Alto. Learn more at www.parwc.org The Board members are: Bern Beecham Anne Warner Cribbs - President Steve Emslie - Secretary Nellis Freeman Marc Guillet Jeff LaMere Judy Kleinberg Roger Smith Tim Stitt Tom DuBois Yudy Deng Board Member Bios Advisory Council Interested individuals working to involve and represent the entire community and contribute resources, experience and knowledge to the Center. https://www.parwc.org/home daily 1.0 2023-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/ab9e19db-1346-4791-a055-625d37e1d73c/VolleyBall.jpg Home - Finally, a recreational facility built for all in the community… Palo Alto does not have a recreation/gym/wellness center that serves the entire community. There is a lack of available indoor sports and recreation space. The 2017 Parks and Recreation Master Plan identified a gym/recreation/wellness center as one of the top priorities for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the community. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/600536f6-6073-4761-98ce-5bf556e0ff7e/Sit+Ups.jpg Home - …with a wide range of sports, exercise and wellness programs for all ages and activity levels. The Recreation Wellness Center will serve Palo Alto and neighboring communities to ensure lifelong recreation, exercise, wellness for the entire community. We believe that resources exist in Palo Alto to build and operate this Center as a public/private partnership. https://www.parwc.org/home-1 daily 0.75 2023-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/1677809644035-92P762SFO9CO5DX1DVGN/Robles+Park++Square.jpg Home (Copy) - Get involved — we need your help funding our ongoing and upcoming projects. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/1677809644048-V4C4WVU0WJO7A6UZEE9W/Ramos+Park+Square.jpg Home (Copy) - Together with the community and city we have enhanced our parks through our many achievements. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut. https://www.parwc.org/contact-us daily 0.75 2023-03-28 https://www.parwc.org/donors daily 0.75 2023-03-03 https://www.parwc.org/ways-to-give daily 0.75 2023-03-23 https://www.parwc.org/faqs daily 0.75 2026-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/c19df0b4-37ed-4eba-b0f2-34adc96a6c2d/Karate+Kid.jpg https://www.parwc.org/news daily 0.75 2024-12-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/640157c3cd86b043d7d461d0/6766459b-f181-4ba2-84bf-c89e6cbdb292/Yoga+Lady.jpg https://www.parwc.org/new-page daily 0.75 2024-02-02 https://www.parwc.org/community-presentation-slide daily 0.75 2024-02-02 https://www.parwc.org/donations daily 0.75 2023-03-03 https://www.parwc.org/donations/p/harvest-moon-cup-fplpl-stej5-bxzgd monthly 0.5 2020-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847051566-7J1F5JK17HV9L5ET6J8C/download+%281%29+copy.jpeg Donations - Harvest Moon Cup https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1600709886471-5B65M5UAWKBAJV2H63K2/product-detail-4x5_6.jpg Donations - Harvest Moon Cup https://www.parwc.org/donations/p/earth-sky-planter-bee8c-whx4c-2tw82 monthly 0.5 2020-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847050613-XRHRJZP8TVBL6N57P6I2/download.jpeg Donations - Earth & Sky Planter https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1600709713213-0A9EOEM7KVP0PARGMKOB/product-detail-4x5_5.jpg Donations - Earth & Sky Planter https://www.parwc.org/donations/p/golden-mist-cup-rwecx-ms74d-fdtbg monthly 0.5 2020-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847052193-0459NVK9KEHCDH8J351A/download+copy.jpeg Donations - Golden Mist Cup https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1600709566842-V0D57N61ZW83B4J87Y15/product-detail-4x5_4.jpg Donations - Golden Mist Cup https://www.parwc.org/donations/p/spring-bowl-5ykm5-lsehl-hexf3 monthly 0.5 2020-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847052564-1TMWPJP4X5JXE1M0CNLO/spring-blade-thumbnail-01-2500x1666.jpg Donations - Spring Bowl https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1600709250624-C68T9SQ6K7NYICK8P3FP/product-detail-4x5_3.jpg Donations - Spring Bowl https://www.parwc.org/donations/p/milk-dip-cup-c4yn7-g8edh-6rs9h monthly 0.5 2020-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847053052-BIBF28M6OATQ2N4J5Y3O/download.jpeg Donations - Milk Dip Cup https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1600709119857-4XUS64LJJ5NSIA4T45VZ/product-detail-4x5_2.jpg Donations - Milk Dip Cup https://www.parwc.org/donations/p/country-feast-set-zcmtn-xtnhg-rj35g monthly 0.5 2020-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1589847053445-TCOA9E8ZBHMLYPM8VJHM/download+%281%29.jpeg Donations - Country Feast Set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1600708893896-325AKTDK2UTS2Y4VSD0K/product-detail-4x5_1.jpg Donations - Country Feast Set