SunUte Community Center announces a brand-new scholarship available to help Southern Ute tribal members located off the reservation acquire gym memberships and swim lessons. This scholarship provides $10,000 worth of funding for subsiding gym memberships and swim lessons and will be directly paid to the chosen entity from SunUte Community Center. The trial period is set to run the entirety in the 2023 fiscal year, which would end next September, or until the funding is spent. SunUte Director, Robin Duffy-Wirth hopes the new scholarship will encourage off-reservation tribal members to get active and take the opportunity to gain new skill sets at a gym or fitness center of their choosing.  

Gaining support from Southern Ute Tribal Council, Executive Officer James “Mike” Olguin, and the Finance Department, SunUte set forth the idea to help Southern Ute tribal members off the reservation. With the new scholarship available, SunUte continues to encourage all tribal members to engage in physical activity and take the opportunity to participate in swim lessons as they can be potentially lifesaving. 

“It is important to be able to serve the tribal membership off the reservation also, SunUte is so beautiful, and people come here to get fit, so we want people off the reservation to go somewhere and get fit.” Duffy-Wirth said. 

The guidelines are as follows; the tribal member household must be located 40 miles or more from the SunUte Community Center location, swim lessons are available to all Southern Ute tribal members regardless of age – $150 allotted per person, per six months, for swim lessons. Basic gym memberships will be paid for by SunUte every six months and does not include any added amenities (e.g., trainers, spa, group classes) – $250 allotted per person, per six months. 

Swim lessons and gym memberships will be paid directly to the chosen entity from SunUte Community Center, tribal members may request funding every six months for their respective membership. If there is funding available, they will be granted another six-month gym membership and/or another $150 for further swim lessons– please note that SunUte will not exceed $10,000 in payments for the 2023 fiscal year.  

Southern Ute tribal members who reside off the reservation boundaries are encouraged to participate in the scholarship program to help further pursue their individual health goals and to learn to safely and properly swim. To request funding or to learn more about how SunUte Community Center can help to purchase memberships please contact SunUte Director Robin Duffy-Wirth at 970-749-7998 or contact Front Desk Staff at 970-563-0214.