DANVILLE — Danville’s Three Kings of Peace are inviting the public to a soft opening of the group being the new owners of the Roselawn Fitness Center.

To reintroduce the Roselawn Fitness Center to the community, the Three Kings are having an open house from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, at the center, 302 W. Roselawn St., Danville.

Founded in 1989 by Sharron and Chip Runyan, the center served the Danville community for 33 years, closing in late 2022 upon the Runyans’ retirement.

The Runyans will join the new owners in the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and tour the facility.

The center will offer all of the bells and whistles of a full-service fitness center.

As Vermilion County resident Chris Lucas recalls, “Roselawn was always a great place for playing basketball.”

Now under the management of Edward J. Butler and Rev. Frank J. McCullough of the Three Kings of Peace, the center will continue to be fully functional, with services that include a weight room, exercise room, gymnasium, shower room and locker room.

According to Butler, the Three Kings’ interest in owning and managing the center is consistent with the group’s mission.

He says, “We have concerns about the welfare of our young people. The center will offer them an outlet for developing healthier bodies and minds.”

The Three Kings of Peace plan to keep membership affordable and are applying for grants and seeking donors to help defray costs.

Butler said, “If we can encourage our youth to work off their energy through basketball, weightlifting, gymnastics, and yoga, they’ll be less likely to get caught up in the trouble that’s ruining the lives of too many of our children today.”

Butler said there will a grand opening at a later date.

The center will be open for anyone.

He said he Runyons kept the building great.

Butler, who was a weightlifter in high school, said he believes in fitness and nutrition.

For more information about the Open House or plans for the revival of the Roselawn Fitness Center, contact Butler at 217-920-2825 or McCullough at 217-766-8735.

The Three Kings of Peace is an organization of more than 20 Danville citizens who are united in the mission of advancing peace and social justice throughout the community. Their good works include guiding Danville’s young people toward the light of truth, hope and the pursuit of a better life through education.