Ribbon Cut

YMCA in Lincoln celebrates the repurposing of the Youth Activity Center with a ribbon cut and open house

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[December 21, 2021]   On Monday evening, the Lincoln Area YMCA celebrated a new chapter of its local history in Lincoln and Logan County with a ribbon cutting and open house. The event was hosted by the Y at the Youth Activity Center on Wyatt Avenue with several representatives of the Springfield/Lincoln YMCA on hand.

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]

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