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 Those in attendance included YMCA CEO Angie Sowle,
Branch Manager for Springfield and Lincoln Joey Greenwood, Marketing
and Development Lynn Eck, Human Resources Jill Steiner, Youth
Development Kristina Snellen, Youth Development and Membership
Services Bonnie Myers, YMCA Board Chair Gilbert Gandenberger and
board members Dolan Dalpoas and Johnathan Jordan.
Joining the group from the YMCA behind the ribbon were Lincoln Mayor
Tracy Welch, Lincoln City Clerk Peggy Bateman, Logan County Clerk
Theresa Moore, and Logan County Tourism Director Alice Roate.
At the start of the ribbon cutting, Nila Smith, serving as emcee
recounted that there has been a recent merger between the
Springfield YMCA and the Lincoln YMCA. This occurred in early
November of this year. The local Y, is taking steps on the path to a
new modern facility on the west side of town, including closing the
YMCA offices on Broadway Street downtown and moving all staff to the
Youth Activity Center. The Y is also beginning to expand its
services and has added cardio and weight exercise rooms in the
downstairs of the building.
Angie Sowle was asked to speak about the Y.
Sowle said first that there had been many steps that brought the
YMCA to its point. She recounted that in 2020 Springfield YMCA,
which had always been close to the Lincoln YMCA, came to work more
closely with the Lincoln facility after the retirement of the
Lincoln director.
She said that the Springfield Y staff was there to provide
leadership for Lincoln and work toward keeping the local Y strong
with a “bigger model of leadership.” She added, “We sort of tucked
them under our wing and started singing, ‘We are family.’”
In 2021 the announcement of the collaboration was announced.
She added, “Our goal is to have a big beautiful facility in this
community, but right now, given the times of the community, the
country, and the world, those dreams have had to be put on hold.”
She went on to add that the Y was thrilled about being in the
beautiful, old and historic building in Lincoln. She noted that the
building, owned by the Oddfellows organization got some sprucing up
and it is a great facility for the Y.
The next person to speak was board chairman Gandenberger. He began
by thanking the many organizations that had helped to make the local
YMCA better and stronger.
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 He recounted that it had been about seven years
ago that Dolan Dalpoas with Lincoln Memorial Hospital had approached
the YMCA and asked them to make an investment in the community,
providing more wellness services. It is a friendship and partnership
that the YMCA is fortunate to have and looking forward to growing.
Gandenberger said, “We realized that it was a very big block they (LMH)
was asking them to lift and that to do it they would have to have
many friends, able and strong enough to help us lift this big block.
The Springfield YMCA was one of those friends, the Oddfellows was
one of those friends. I’m looking forward to, God willing, building
a new facility at some point in time.”
He said that the YMCA has many friends in the community including
the hospital, the Oddfellows, the local schools Faith Assembly
Church, Lincoln College and more.
Gandenberger also mentioned that in preparation for the
consolidation of services to the Wyatt Avenue address, the
Oddfellows had put in new heating, replaced several windows and had
also done some fresh painting.
The final person to speak was Mayor Welch. He said, “Obviously a lot
of organizations are coming together to make this happen, and
Lincoln is extremely fortunate to have everybody who has
participated to make this happen.” He went ahead to say that he was
looking forward to seeing how the YMCA evolves and grows in the
community in the future.”
With the speeches concluded posed pictures were taken, then guests
in the room helped with the countdown, and at the right moment Sowle
snipped the ribbon.
Guests were encouraged to stay around, visit the new exercise rooms
downstairs, enjoy some light refreshments and visit with staff.
[Nila Smith] |
