By Barbara Augsdorfer, Editor for the Effingham Herald
A crowd of around 200 Effingham County residents turned out Saturday morning Aug. 24 for the official ribbon-cutting at the Guyton YMCA.
And, of course, the 1978 disco hit YMCA by the Village People blared over the loudspeaker at least twice.
With music like that in the background creating a happy vibe, even the weather cooperated – warm, but not too warm, along with a gentle breeze.
“It's really a privilege to be here this morning for the grand opening ribbon cutting of the Guyton Family YMCA,” said Joel Smoker, president and CEO of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. “It's a beautiful new facility that represents the YMCA of Coastal Georgia's commitment to expanding our reach and serving the diverse needs of our communities.”
The new facility at 710 Central Blvd., Guyton, is two buildings that have been remodeled and refurbished with plenty of room for working out with free weights and weightlifting machines; EGym, which allows patrons to develop a custom workout program. Another room is available for yoga, aerobics, and spin classes. There are also meeting rooms for teens and seniors.
Savannah-based architectural firm Felder and Associates designed the interiors of the buildings.
Smoker added that YMCAs don’t just happen by themselves, or someone at a Y saying, “We need to put a Y there.” Smoker said YMCAs come about through organic conversations.
“Crystal Crawford, our COO, had an organic conversation with (former city manager) Meketa Brown, and from there, it blossomed into what you see today,” Smoker said.
“The YMCA is about community,” said Andy Brodmann, chairman of the board for the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. It’s more than youth sports. Brodmann said it’s programs that brings people together.
“I hope you’re asking yourself, ‘As a citizen of Guyton, what can I do to help my branch grow and become strong and active?’.” Brodmann said.
There are several things residents of Guyton and the surrounding area can do, according to Brodmann.
“Number one, become a member. Join the Y. Be active and participate,” Brodmann said. “So, you join. You work out in the gym. You do an aerobics class or a spin class. You tell your friends and neighbors.
“They join (and) before you know it, the place is packed, and we're talking about an expansion project, which will be great,” Brodman continued. “The second thing is volunteer. We have very hardworking leadership and staff at Coastal Georgia Y, and each one of them will tell you that without volunteers, it's hard to make things happen. There's plenty of things if you're interested in volunteering.”
For more information about the Guyton YMCA, click on its Facebook page.
