LONG BEACH, Calif.— Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill led groundbreaking ceremonies for the Laserfiche Center for Wellness and Fitness, a state-of-the-art fitness center under construction at the Fairfield Family YMCA branch. The festivities took place at a gala celebration on March 8.

Laserfiche donated $150,000 toward the center as part of its ongoing commitment to give back to the local community.

“Nien-Ling Wacker and Laserfiche have been an important part of the Long Beach community for more than four years,” said Mayor O’Neill. “During that time, Laserfiche has consistently impressed us by being a wonderful corporate citizen and neighbor.”

The fitness center had been in the planning stages for almost five years before Laserfiche’s donation enabled officials to move forward with construction.

“Thanks to Laserfiche, we will finally be able to provide Long Beach citizens of all ages with an affordable place to exercise and stay healthy,” said Ricky Grover, executive director of Fairfield Family YMCA. “We’re very excited about this project, as it’s the first time many of our members will have access to such advanced fitness equipment and programs.”

The Laserfiche Center is being built as part of the Long Beach YMCA’s continuing effort to battle rapidly rising obesity rates in children and minorities in the region. The center will feature new weight and cardiovascular equipment and special areas for youth and senior fitness. New locker rooms and a Child Watch center – where parents can drop off their children while they use the fitness center – will also be constructed. Recreational swimming and lap pool areas will be improved as well.

The new facilities will be complemented by an expanded offering of “Healthy Lifestyles” classes customized for different age groups. Each month of the year will have a different health-related theme, and staff members will offer special classes related to the theme each month.

“We can’t wait to welcome our first members later this year,” Grover said. “The Laserfiche Center is truly going to be something the entire community will be proud of.”

Based in Long Beach, Calif., Laserfiche (www.laserfiche.com) creates simple and elegant document management solutions that help organizations run smarter. Laserfiche solutions are used in more than 22,000 government and business offices worldwide.

The YMCA of Greater Long Beach (www.lbymca.org) is dedicated to putting Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that develop healthy spirit, mind and body for all. The Fairfield Family YMCA branch has been open since 1977.

Alan Hostrup, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach and Mayor Beverly O’Neill flank Chris and Nien-Ling Wacker to officially start construction of the Laserfiche Center for Wellness and Fitness.