We are developing a world class health and wellness center in the heart of North Minneapolis. Phase One is currently under construction and is expected to open in March of 2024. The first phase includes multiple fitness spaces, a restaurant, a 25M pool, a therapy pool, and a child-care space.

The V3 Center is poised to be an economic generator for the community of North Minneapolis and surrounding regions, provide healthy life choices, and educate our community how to swim. Although we’ve raised enough money to build Phase One, we still have a long journey ahead to begin building Phase Two. Your contribution to the Power of One fundraiser will help us build this life-changing health and wellness center for Minneapolis.  

Learning to swim (and swimming to learn) is essential for a healthy life, especially considering the higher prevalence of drowning than commonly realized. Public swimming facilities in low-income communities play a vital role in breaking down structural and systemic barriers by offering equal access, affordability, and skill development opportunities. This leads to a more inclusive and equitable swimming landscape.

In the United States, drowning ranks as the second leading cause of unintentional injury death among children aged 1 to 14. V3 Sports directly addresses this issue by providing swim education to both youth and adults. In a region known for its 10,000 lakes, it's imperative that our communities have access to this life-saving skill! ​

We firmly believe that every individual in our nation should have equitable access to healthy life choices and expanded opportunities for self-improvement. While many families currently undertake journeys to access healthier resources in nearby areas, the availability of these resources right within their community has a significant and far-reaching influence on their holistic well-being, encompassing not only their physical health but also their financial stability. 

North Minneapolis, characterized as a low-income and limited-opportunity neighborhood, is positioned for positive transformation through the establishment of V3 Sports and the V3 Center. This endeavor promises to ignite a profound shift toward healthier living among North Minneapolis families.

V3 Sports was founded by Erika L. Binger. Due to her recognition of a lack of opportunity and resources in the North Minneapolis community, especially in regard to swimming. When the only indoor pool in North Minneapolis closed in 2007, Binger saw this as an opportunity to provide a solution to the problem, and V3 Sports was born. Binger has a huge heart for educating youth how to swim and compete in triathlons. In 2011, the V3 team placed second at the USA Triathlon Junior National Championship in San Diego, and several athletes placed top ten. The vision continued to grow over the years and in 2017, we purchased the land for the soon-to-be V3 Center on the corner of Plymouth and Lyndale in North Minneapolis.  

Since V3’s conception, we have educated over 1,000 families how to swim and we have helped many young athletes compete in national triathlons. With your participation in the Power of One, you can help us expand upon our impact in one of the most important communities of the Twin Cities: North Minneapolis.