RUSKIN, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 18, 2026--
Earl J. Lennard High School today celebrated the unveiling of its newly transformed weight room, made possible through a partnership with Wellpoint and the Impact Fitness Foundation, a national nonprofit focused on expanding access to fitness and movement spaces. The renovation provides a modern, inspiring fitness space that will support more than 800 student-athletes and marks the school’s first major update to the facility in nearly two decades.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260218877651/en/
The investment reflects a shared commitment to ensuring young people have equal opportunities to access fitness resources and build healthy habits early in life. For many students, schools are one of the few places where safe, structured fitness spaces are available. Research shows that physical activity habits formed during adolescence are more likely to carry into adulthood, yet fewer than one in four high school students meets recommended daily activity levels—underscoring the importance of introducing fitness early and making it accessible where students already are.
Over the course of two days, approximately 50 volunteers worked together to revitalize the space, installing turf flooring, assembling and organizing new equipment, applying graphics, and adding much-needed storage solutions. The project culminated in a ribbon-cutting celebration and formal reveal attended by school leaders and community partners.
“This new weight room represents so much more than updated equipment,” said Richard Peacock, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, Lennard High School. “It’s a space our 2500 students can take pride in, one that encourages healthy habits, builds confidence, and supports their growth both on and off the field.”
As part of the celebration, coaches, teachers, and student-athlete leaders participated in a fitness clinic led by the Impact Fitness Foundation to help them get oriented to the new space. Lennard High School also received a formal fitness curriculum to support ongoing instruction and athlete development moving forward.
“Wellpoint is advancing whole health by investing in the communities where people live, learn, and play,” said Dr. Marc Kaprow, D.O., Chief Medical Director at Simply Healthcare Plans, Inc. and representative of Wellpoint in Florida. “Through initiatives like this, Wellpoint is expanding access to the tools and opportunities students need to safely build healthy habits early and strengthen communities over time.”
Chris Welsh, Founder and President of the Impact Fitness Foundation, added: “High school is a critical time for establishing positive relationships with movement and fitness. Our goal is to create spaces that motivate, inspire, and empower students. This project is a powerful example of what can happen when schools, nonprofits, and corporate partners come together to serve young people.”
ABOUT LENNARD HIGH SCHOOL
Earl J. Lennard High School is a public high school in Ruskin, Florida, named in honor of Dr. Earl J. Lennard, former superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools. The school opened in 2006 and serves students throughout the Ruskin community.
ABOUT WELLPOINT
Wellpoint, part of the Elevance Health family, focuses on improving members’ physical health as well as the behavioral and social drivers that impact it through a comprehensive suite of Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial products. The Wellpoint companies offer healthcare services for consumers at every stage of life seeking to make the right care decisions. Wellpoint is committed to helping individuals and communities make real, positive progress with health plans that foster independence, confidence, and whole-person health. Wellpoint is the trade name of Simply Healthcare Plans, Inc., which is a managed health care plan that currently serves Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members in the state of Florida. For more information, please visit www.wellpoint.com.
ABOUT IMPACT FITNESS FOUNDATION
The Impact Fitness Foundation is a national nonprofit with a mission to provide fitness spaces, movement spaces, instruction, and educational resources to communities that need it most. We transform unused or unsafe areas into motivational fitness and mindfulness spaces designed to promote healthy habits and inspire people of all ages to MOVE FORWARD. Learn more at www.impactfitnessfoundation.com.
The newly transformed weight room at Lennard High School in Ruskin, unveiled in partnership with Wellpoint and the Impact Fitness Foundation, provides students with expanded access to fitness resources.
The group of 15 backcountry skiers headed out on a three-day trek organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides into pristine wilderness near Frog Lake in California's Sierra Nevada as a powerful winter storm moved into the state.
The skiers on Sunday made their way to remote huts situated at 7,600 feet (3,415 meters) in Tahoe National Forest, carrying their own food and supplies. At 6:49 a.m. that same morning, the Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch for the area, indicating that large slides were likely in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Two days later, as the group was making its way back out to a trailhead and the center increased the watch to a warning, an avalanche hit near Castle Peak, trapping the skiers. Authorities said Wednesday that eight people were killed and one person remained missing. Six skiers were rescued after sheltering in place for hours as search crews battled blizzard conditions.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said investigators were looking into the decision to proceed with the trip on Sunday despite the forecast for a major storm.
“We’re still in conversation with them on the decision factors that they made,” Moon said at a Wednesday news conference announcing the deaths.
Before the disaster, the tour company said its guides were highly skilled in dealing with extreme conditions and that it offered avalanche education. It’s not known if the guides would have known about the avalanche warning as they returned to the trailhead.
“If you’ve booked the Frog Lake Huts in Truckee, trust our guides to elevate your trip to the next level,” the business said on its website, advertising the trip. “We’ll navigate in and out of the huts, manage the risks, and find the best terrain and snow quality for you and your group!”
Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement Tuesday that it was coordinating with authorities. Three of the guides were among those killed, officials said.
The company, with offices in California and Washington state, offers mountaineering and backcountry ski trips across the U.S. West Coast as well as in Europe and Japan. The tour outfit also offers safety courses like wilderness skills and first aid.
The rugged terrain where the skiers died had been closed to the public for a century before the Truckee Donner Land Trust bought it and opened the huts, which are outfitted with basic accommodations such as sleeping pads, gas stoves and flush toilets.
The tour, which cost $1,165.00 per person, was rated for intermediate-to-expert skiers with at least 20 days of backcountry experience who should be prepared to climb up to 2,500 vertical feet (760 meters) throughout the course of a day, according to the company’s website. Guides carry first aid kits and “wag bags” for human waste disposal, but participants must bring their own ski equipment and avalanche gear, including a beacon, shovel and probe.
“Generally our guides are able to find excellent backcountry snow conditions, but often we need to travel through difficult conditions to access the goods,” the website description said. “This requires riders to be adept with their backcountry touring skills and have a solid foundation of touring before the trip.”
Rapidly accumulating snow piling on fragile snowpack layers, along with strong winds, contributed to the treacherous conditions this week. The town of Soda Springs, near where the avalanche took place, recorded at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow during a 24-hour period, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.
Anthony Pavlantos, owner of Utah-based Prival USA, makes avalanche safety equipment and runs mountain safety programs. He said often the safest option in severe weather is to leave rather than hunker down.
“When you have high intensity snowfall, let’s say 12 inches of snow in 24 hours, it’s a really big red flag,” he said. “High intensity snowfall in short amounts of time can increase the avalanche hazard fast. So, you already have a snowpack sitting on the snow and then you have all this new snow that’s falling down at a high rapid rate. That new snow can slide on that old snow surface.”
Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.
Snow covers a road on an underpass along interstate 80 on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon updates media on rescue efforts following an avalanche at a news conference in Nevada City, Calif. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)
Snow piles up along a road on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Snow covers a street sign on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A road is cleared during a snow storm on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 near Soda Springs, Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A street is covered in snow on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
