Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown toured the Leonardtown Campus of the College of Southern Maryland on Friday, getting a fitness workout as he delivered a ceremonial capital check for $11.7 million to fund the college’s new wellness center.

The 32,000-square-foot project is scheduled to break ground by the fall and will be the fourth building on the campus. It is the largest project in St. Mary’s County to receive funds in the state’s 2009 capital budget.

“Expanding fitness and wellness opportunities for members of our community is a high priority,” said Brown. “Providing opportunities for students and community members to participate in fitness programs helps improve upon their quality of life.”

During his campus tour, the Lt. Governor visited the existing fitness classroom where he spoke with students and community members, and participated in a five-minute fitness stretch with community residents, members of the Wellness Center Advisory Committee, college officials and elected dignitaries.

"Lt. Governor Anthony Brown has been a tireless advocate of community colleges and has played a pivotal role in securing the funding for our new wellness center on the Leonardtown campus,” said College of Southern Maryland President Brad Gottfried. “We will be working closely with Lt. Governor Brown to ensure that Southern Marylanders have access to the high quality health and fitness programs and facilities that they deserve," he added.

The one-story building will be home to two swimming pools, a variety of classroom spaces for aerobics, yoga and other fitness activities. In addition, the building will have specialized fitness assessment rooms for individualized consultations and fitness analysis.

As the College of Southern Maryland celebrates its 50th anniversary, the CSM Foundation marks a major milestone in the college’s history of the college with its “Campaign for the Next 50 Years.” The campaign is raising $5 million to fund an Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (ISTEM), a Regional Center for Trades and Transportation Technologies; and initiatives to address local nursing and healthcare workforce shortages; focus on educational excellence, and endow a student scholarship fund for access and success. CSM, founded in 1958, is the fifth largest community college in Maryland and grown to be the centerpiece of Southern Maryland with campuses in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties and more than 21,000 annual enrollments. For information about CSM, call 301-934-7765 or 301-870-2309, 240-725-5499 or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7765 or visit www.csmd.edu.