| When doors open on Aug. 21 at the new Gig Harbor YMCA, visitors may be surprised to see a facility that looks different from the average YMCA. Billed as the top Y in the region, the Gig Harbor facility has a concept new to the nonprofit, mission-based organization: to serve not just as a fitness facility, but also as a gathering space.
Long before construction started, the design team traveled around the country to look at the best facilities available, and to find innovative ways to create “a third place” — a buzzword (coined by Ray Oldenburg in his book “The Great, Good Place) that refers to third places outside the home and workplace that can provide social nourishment. For the Y, providing such nourishment fits well within its mission, which is focused on the “body, mind and spirit.”
By mid-July, the Gig Harbor Y had surpassed its original goal of 6,000 members, with 10,000 members expected by the end of the year. Members are coming from all around the Gig Harbor area as well as Key Peninsula and South Kitsap.
“Everywhere we go, people are excited for the Y,” said Darcy Celletti, the executive director of the branch. “Everything is starting to feel real. The community is excited, we have staff hired and the programs are coming together.”
The Gig Harbor YMCA has been a dream in the making for more than 20 years. It has received overwhelming support both from the local community and sponsors on the east side of the Tacoma Narrows. The capital campaign beat the wildest dreams. The goal was $6 million. The campaign raised $13 million, surpassing the $12.4 million total raised by the parent Tacoma-Pierce County YMCA in its entire 123-year history.
The 74,000-square-foot facility features a design people have come to expect from Gig Harbor: a building that fits the community character. Three swimming pools, racquetball courts, an outdoor nature trail, a climbing wall, party area, meeting rooms including a kitchen, a MultiCare wellness center are among the amenities. A teen center, daycare, kids area, family workout room, circuit training, free weights area and exercise rooms are mixed in with a gymnasium, two lounges with fireplaces, and an indoor track.
Among the programs that will be offered is a new behavioral change course based on Stanford curriculum. Celletti said 80 percent of the charter members who responded to a programming survey indicated interest in the program, which is set in a support group environment. “It’s been phenomenal in terms of outcome,” she said.
The YMCA’s programs focus on people who are not fit or new to fitness. “We know that 70 percent of people who come to the Y won’t be successful on their own, so we look at creating successful programs (to help them),” Celletti said. Among those programs is a 12-week introductory wellness course designed to provide a non-intimidating environment and staff support to members starting out on the road to fitness.
Youth is also a strong focus for the YMCA, which is the largest employer nationwide of youth. Free weekend events will be offered for all teens, regardless of membership.
“This is a leadership program for the youth,” said Tacoma-Pierce County YMCA CEO and President Bob Ecklund. |
