Volunteers work to revamp Chicago high school workout room

By Noel Brennan

August 4, 2023 / 4:31 PM / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) – Two days of work will make an impact for many years to come at a high school on Chicago's North Side.

A nonprofit and volunteers from an insurance company teamed up to overhaul fitness areas and staff spaces at Nicholas Senn High School. CBS 2's Noel Brennan was there to see the work and big reveal.

There was some assembly required, but Angela Mitchell volunteered for the job.

"This is how I put my furniture together at home, too," she said. "Trial and error."

She's giving up her time, but she won't give up on an office chair she was trying to put together.

"That doesn't line up either, though," she said. "OK, let me look at my directions."

Mitchell works for United Healthcare, but this week, she and her coworkers put in the work at Senn High School on the North Side.

"Gotta make sure they're good and tight for these teachers," she said.

They were working to revamp the teacher's lounge like they did the workout room.

"It looked very barren before," said Chris Rubright, with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation. "A lot of hodgepodge hand-me-down, half-damaged equipment."

Rubright called it a team effort.

"It's what these teachers and what these kids deserve," he said.

The nonprofit brought the expertise and United Healthcare brought the funds and the volunteers.

"You need to come and get some deadlifts in? This is the place to be," said Principal Holly Dacres about the newly revamped workout room.

She knows it was not an easy lift.

"This is one of the most humbling and exciting experiences I've had as a principal," Dacres said.

After two days of hard work, the payoff is when students get a preview of a brand-new space, and suddenly a new school year couldn't start soon enough.

"Walking in here, it just looked like a new place," said student Antonio Epps. "It looked pretty cool. We got our logo around the school now, so, I don't know, it feels pretty good."

Some assembly was required, but it was all happily volunteered.

First published on August 4, 2023 / 4:31 PM

CHICAGO (CBS)