Last month we featured members of the Graham County, NC task force leading the visionary development of the fitness center complete with natatorium, workout rooms, elevated walking track and other fitness supports currently needed in the community.

This project was selected as a member of the 2025 cohort of the Richmond Fed’s Rural Investment Collaborative™ to support development and Partnerships Officer Sara Coplai completed the course January through May 2025. The Rural Investment Collaborative works to address a basic problem of supply and demand that is a barrier for many small towns to access the available capital needed to advance economic and community development efforts.

The course provides a weekly curriculum, seminars with leaders in capital development, and training and project pitch guidance from leaders and fellow cohort members. Erika Bell of the Richmond Fed pictured above heard the fitness center pitch in April 2025 and was able to provide real-time feedback as we move to our next phase of capital development. This project also aligns with the Foundation’s efforts to integrate and amplify efforts to achieve Healthy NC 2030 goals (Indicator #8) we began in 2023 with Impact and partnership investments.