Preble County YMCA grand opening set

By Erin Alice
For the Dayton Daily News
Thursday, January 23, 2003

The grand opening of the Preble County YMCA is slated for Feb. 2.

The new facility will boast a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool, gymnasium, fitness center, indoor walking track and teen center.

By the grand opening, officials expect the facility at 450 Washington-Jackson Road in Eaton will have more than 750 family memberships.

"The support we have received from the community during this project has been tremendous," said Tim Helm, the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Dayton.

The Eaton YMCA is the latest in several expansions recently.

In January 2000, the Coffman Family YMCA opened in Springboro with more than 2,500 family memberships.

By April 2000, building expansion, including the addition of a second gymnasium, had begun.

Since its grand opening three years ago, programming has increased at a fast clip. Preschool programming has expanded from six programs to more than 30.

Coffman's current membership is about 4,300 families, with more than 400 of those members receiving financial assistance.

The growth did not stop in Springboro.

In January 2002, the Kleptz Family YMCA in Englewood opened, and by the end of the year was serving more than 2,800 families.

Currently, West Carrollton and Huber Heights are partnering with the YMCA of Greater Dayton to bring facilities to their communities.

Both projects are running their capital campaigns, with groundbreaking scheduled for this year and a grand opening in 2004.

When asked for the recipe for the rapid growth and continued success of the YMCA, Helm cited multiple reasons.

"This type of growth can only be accomplished through strong partnerships. We have been able to collaborate with hospitals, city governments and churches to bring new facilities to communities that eagerly wanted a YMCA for the children and families."

For more information about the upcoming Preble County Hard Hat Tours, the West Carrollton YMCA and Huber Heights YMCA capital campaigns or the YMCA of Greater Dayton, call 223-5201 or visit ymcaonline.org.