Saturday, August 22, 2026

Wellness Lounge Opens for Teachers at Madison Elementary in Pasadena

By EDDIE RIVERA

Chris Welsh, CEO of Impact Fitness Foundation (L) talks with Madison Elementary Principal Elisa Pérez-Luna and staff, at the opening of the new teachers wellness lounge on Friday.

Impact Fitness Foundation, iHeartMedia and Anthem Blue Cross convert a staff lounge, as LA Sparks players add new basketball courts for students

Two brand-new, state-of-the-art massage chairs now line the walls of what used to be an ordinary teacher’s lounge at James Madison Elementary School. The paint is lighter. Motivational quotes stretch across the walls, and a shelf holds healthy snacks that weren’t there a week ago.

The room is the school’s new relaxation and recharge lounge, built by the Impact Fitness Foundation with support from iHeartMedia and Anthem Blue Cross. On the same day, the LA Sparks were on campus dedicating new basketball courts for students, with players Rae Burrell, Tonie Morgan and Alissa Pili, taking part.

Chris Welsh, founder of the Impact Fitness Foundation, said the lounge was designed as a place for teachers to step away from the demands of the classroom.

“We have massage chairs in there, we have new healthy snacks in there, changed the paint colors just to make it more light and refreshing, and just added some motivational quotes and stuff on the walls,” Welsh said. “Created a place for them to really be able to take a break, recover, recharge, and go back out and do what they do, which is love these kids and lift them up.”

The Impact Fitness Foundation was founded in 2020 and has since built more than 120 fitness and mindfulness spaces across the country, Welsh said. He described the organization’s mission as supporting the coaches, mentors and educators who work in schools, using fitness and mindfulness as tools.

Dr. Elisa Pérez-Luna, principal of Madison Elementary, said the lounge was a way of acknowledging what teachers give to their students every day.

“Our teachers work so hard and they give up so much of themselves to create beautiful spaces for their own students,” Pérez-Luna said. “So it’s a blessing that these groups, these volunteers have come to Madison to create the same space for them.”

Pérez-Luna said the new basketball courts, built with the LA Sparks, could open doors for students who might not otherwise picture themselves as athletes.

“We know that exposure creates opportunities here at Madison,” she said, adding that the school was excited by the possibility that a future professional player could come through its courts.