- By Dan Veaner
- Around Town
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YMCAThe YMCA in Lansing Village is a busy place. Associate Director Frank Towner says, "We service around 11,000 people here. About 8400 are members members, and then additional people who attend a program. Lansing, in demographics, is the largest group because we're right here. The City of Ithaca's a close second." Mr. Towner laid out the history of the facility: "In 1844 the Y was founded by George Williams in England. Shortly after that, around 1856, it was brought to America. The original Y was the Young Mens Christian Association, bringing men together for Christian fellowship. Eventually that evolved into sports and fitness, because men wanted to do something. So today it's come to be known as a sports and fitness facility, family oriented.
"Depending on where you are it might have Christian fellowship. What's nice about Ys is that because it is in a community, it will adapt itself to that community. For instance here we don't have a Christian fellowship following, because there are so many international people in our town that we'd have to have one for everybody. So ours is a family center. That's our goal.
The gym is in the new $1.7 million wing
"The Y here is 137 years old. It was originally down town. It was one of the older Ys in the country. It was right across from the old post office. It burned to the ground in 1978.
"Our present CEO Paul Grennell, was brought in in 1980. A huge search was made to put the Y somewhere. This was one of the sites. In 1982 we were fully ready to go. The pool was in. In 2000 we had a capital campaign and raised $1.7 million to add 25,000 more square feet. We added a gymnasium, dance studio, a child care room, activity area, three locker rooms, a weight room, and a cardio room. It's been very successful. We've taken our membership from about 3700 to 8400.
Membership Director Teresa Morehouse is passionate about the programs at the Y. "We have programs for all ages, starting from six months for the little babies in the pool. Two years old we get into creative dance, and gym and swim at three, and all those pre-school programs that are really very popular. Then we get into the after school programs that are not only just here, but are in Groton and McLean. We've started karate this year and jump team. We have a strength building class for kids who are ten years old. We have kids yoga. Right after school.
"Then the older kids can work out on the equipment. Teenagers can go to the classes that we offer for adults. All the way around it's family programming. We have more than we ever had. It's very exciting."
 Lindy Wilcox takes a break from working at the Lansing Schools to work out. She and and her family try to come to the Y at least twice a week. They have been members for six years. |
There are six full time employees and 85 part timers, including a number of Lansing High School students. Members get use of the facilities and reduced rates on classes and programs, which include summer camp and aquatics classes among others. The kids climbing structure is booked solid for birthday parties.
Family events are organized for members, and the Y is beginning to offer them to non-members as well. Coming to these events often interests people in joining. Raquetball courts are always active. Some of them are also used for Wallyball, a game like volleyball that adds the dimension of bouncing the ball off of the walls.
The climbing space is popular for birthday parties
Sports, like soccer and flag football, and summer camp take place in a grassy area behind the building. There is also a playground for small children. The Y is experimenting with a program for home schoolers this year as well.
There is also a scholarship program for people who can't afford to pay for memberships. The Y holds fund raisers that help support these scholarships. "Anyone who is not able to pay, we can help them," says Ms. Morehouse.
"It's all build on the theme of being a family center, following the national desire to build strong kids, strong families, strong communities," says Mr. Towner. "That's what we do. We're not a health center, not a fitness center, we're not a health club."