Louisville, KY一On Friday, June 4, 2021, the Louisville Urban League cut the ribbon on the Humana Outdoor Track & Field located on the Louisville Urban League Sports and Learning Campus. This campus is also home to the flagship Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center which opened in February.
The opening of the outdoor track and field marks the latest significant development on this campus and represents yet another asset for Louisville’s west end community. From morning to night, seven days a week, residents are encouraged to utilize the Humana Outdoor Track and Field for everything from competitively running to leisurely walking, playing field sports and more. The infield of the 400-meter track includes dedicated areas for jumps, vaults, and throws, as well as steeplechase, while also offering seating for 500 spectators. Track meets will also be hosted at this outdoor venue, providing another option alongside the indoor track and field venue.
This is yet another visible example of the complete transformation that has taken place on what used to be a 24-acre vacant and contaminated lot, and it is further realization of residents’ desires to see a sports facility built here. This is also the last major construction milestone associated with the $53 million development plan led by the Urban League which includes a $6.5 million contribution from Humana. Humana’s gift came at a critical time in the project’s fundraising and construction cycles, and the League sincerely appreciates this example of responsive corporate philanthropy.
As Sadiqa Reynolds, President & CEO of the Louisville Urban League shared, “As I traveled around the country visiting other facilities, it was clear to me that this outdoor track and field simply had to be included in our project. We always want this campus to be accessible to community, and this outdoor track creates another significant way for that to happen. To all the residents who started walking on the track even before the surface was poured, come on back! And bring your neighbors, kids, grandkids, and friends. The Humana Outdoor Track and Field is for you.”
“At the core of Humana’s values is serving the communities in which we operate. The mission of our company has taken on particular significance in our hometown of Louisville, especially in West Louisville, where 1200 of our teammates live,” said Alan Wheatley, President of Humana’s Retail Segment. “The Humana Outdoor Track and Field, and the entire Sports and Learning Campus, is an innovative development that will make a lasting impact for generations to come. It’s an important way that Humana is partnering in this community to advance health equity and the social determinants of health, particularly social connectedness, education, health, and economic stability.”
The inaugural track meet to be held on this track is the DC Timing Age Group Meet that will be held this coming Tuesday evening, June 8. This open meets allows all athletes, even those not affiliated with a particular team or club, to participate in a high-caliber competition. Additional information on this event, as well as ways to book the facility for upcoming sporting events, meetings, birthday parties and more, can be found on the venue’s website as well as the its various social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter (@NortonSLC), or Instagram (@NortonSLC).