Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."
By SALINA POST
For a town filled with frontier history and century-old buildings, some Salinans may overlook the local YMCA as a historical stop.
First founded in 1886, the Salina Family YMCA operated from downtown Salina in the Campbell Building on Santa Fe Ave.
This didn't last long for the local YMCA, though — by 1908, the first board of directors selected L.B. Potter as its first president and raised $15,000 to construct a permanent YMCA building for the community.
Seated comfortably at 315 W. Iron Ave., the new YMCA building opened its doors to residents in 1910. The Smoky Hill Museum said more than 3,000 people attended the opening reception.
Once in the new building, staff at The YMCA offered patrons various services, including sports and exercise. In 1955, the YMCA expanded its gym floor and added a pool.
Eight years later, in 1963, the YMCA included a new health center, handball court and parking.
The YMCA continued operations at 315 W. Iron until 1969, and in 1971 contractors tore down the original building.
The YMCA stayed in Salina, though, with its new building opening at 570 YMCA Drive on Jan. 7, 1978. The original pillars of the West Iron Avenue building stand next to the cu
As the population of Salina grew and more families decided to settle down in town, the membership at the YMCA also grew. In 1985, the building was expanded, and by 1989, the board of directors adopted a new long-range plan to address issues like simplifying the membership system, introducing a new financial assistance policy, and an additional building expansion.
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Between building investments and enhancing community interest, membership at The Salina YMCA reached 7,800 members in 1992. That same year, the YMCA budget exceeded $1 million.
During the 90s, the YMCA continued expanding, adding a teen center, discovery center, wellness area, and family pool.
In 2013, the board of directors selected Angie Lassley as the 16th President/CEO of the Salina Family YMCA, making her the first female to serve in this role in the Salina organization's history.
She is the first woman to serve in this role.
The Capital Campaign went public in 2015, with a $3.7 million goal and a Mabee Challenge grant of $500,000 to meet by June 1, 2016. The goal was to complete four additional renovation projects: locker room redesign, aquatic area repairs, addition and updating of youth and family program spaces, and infrastructure updates to HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and more.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the entire world, but locally, the YMCA had to close the main part of the facility used for wellness, aquatics, gymnasiums, gymnastics, and locker rooms to the public.
It was closed from March 17 to May 18.
During that time, staff provided essential childcare to parents who were in healthcare, manufacturing, or other deemed essential positions. YMCA partnered with Kansas Wesleyan University to offer a Virtual School Assistance Program location on 9th Street for middle school students who were out of school but needed additional academic support.
By 2021, the YMCA completed a lobby renovation and started a strategic partnership with Kansas Wesleyan University that provided access to the YMCA for students, staff and faculty in exchange for shared services and collaborative programming.
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The Salina YMCA began providing shared services in the back office, such as financial and human resource support for other YMCA associations.
That same year the YMCA collaborated with the Friends of the River Foundation and the City of Salina for the Smoky River Restoration Project. A one-mile trail surrounding the YMCA finished its first portion in late 2023.
The 2022 budget shot past its initial $2 million price tag, and by Oct. 1, 2022, a new $3 million proposed budget was in store for fiscal year 2023.