A new wellness center at Williams Baptist University is $100,000 closer to reality, thanks to gifts from the Dave Russell family of Jonesboro and Tekla Research. The family, along with Tekla COO Beth West, recently presented checks totaling that amount to WBU President Dr. Stan Norman.

The gifts reflect the first installment of a $500,000 pledge on the part of Dave & Debra Russell and Tekla toward the planned J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation Wellness Center on the Williams campus.

“The generosity of the Russell family and Tekla continue to fuel progress at this university,” said Norman. “Their gifts have funded two greenhouses and an elaborate garden for Eagle Farms and our Williams Works program. Now, they are helping WBU take a huge step forward in our plans to build a wellness center that will benefit the entire campus community.”

Plans for the facility include two basketball courts, top-of-the-line weight and aerobic exercise equipment, exercise area, locker rooms, a video gaming room and other amenities. It is intended to provide a facility for physical fitness, mental health and community engagement. Additionally, the center will serve as a catalyst for enrollment growth and student retention.

The effort to build a wellness center at Williams was launched by a $4 million gift from the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation. WBU is currently raising the remaining funds needed to construct the facility, according to Norman. He said the university hopes to have construction underway in about a year.

Russell is chairman of the board at Tekla Research, and West, who is also from Jonesboro, serves as chief operating officer for the company. Tekla is headquartered in Virginia.

Williams is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge.