Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The YMCA got its start in Warsaw on Nov. 13, 1961.
It began without a facility and relied on places such as Lake City Bank and the National Guard Armory.
On Oct. 10, 1965, the first facility was dedicated. The first president was Dr. Carl Shrader. The purpose of the YMCA was to encourage stronger character, stronger bodies, better minds and better citizenship.
A campaign in 1985 brought about the construction of a gymnasium, indoor running track, fitness center, offices, locker rooms and a renovated pool. The new facilities were dedicated on May 9, 1987.
The 1996 campaign raised money for the construction of a youth gymnasium, a larger fitness center and a warm water training pool.
Groundbreaking for the new additions took place on May 1, 1997.
More than 300 volunteers helped with the campaign, such as campaign chairman Dr. Steven Grossnickle, Chuck Niemier, Kim Fuller, Charlie Smith, Joanne Kolbe, Jim Brennan, Kevin Marose and Joe Thallemer.
"It was that team of leaders that made it a success," said Don Enterline, manager of the YMCA, about the recent expansion campaign. "It would never have happened without them."
More than 300 volunteers donated money to the campaign to achieve the almost $1.5 million required to build the additions.
The construction is being done by Robinson Construction and was designed by MSKTD and Associates, which also designed Whitley County YMCA and North Point Cinemas in Warsaw.
In the past six years, the YMCA's membership has more than doubled, from 2,111 to 4,300.
The new construction was an attempt to increase the facility's size by 50 percent. Last year's average membership was about 4,600, and Enterline would like to see that average reach 5,000.
The previous facility was 25,000 square feet and was increased by nearly 11,000 square feet, bringing the total to 36,000 square feet. The fitness center added 3,500 square feet, the youth gym is 4,000 square feet, and the warm water training pool will be nearly 3,200 square feet.
Any future expansion would be limited due to the requirement for the parking lot. The YMCA has all but used up its available space.
When the YMCA board of directors decided to expand, it created a list of several priorities that needed to be addressed and ranked them according to need.
The first three of those have already been addressed with the new construction.
The next items on the list of possible improvements are more programming for teens and a possible look at child care.
Enterline admits, though, that there need to be some minor internal improvements before any other larger projects would be looked at seriously.
