The question has never been why. It’s been when, where and how much.

A week ago Saturday, the when was now, the where was Patriots Drive and the how much was $4.3 million as the new Effingham branch of the YMCA opened its doors.

It’s rare that anything meets universal acclaim, but the Effingham Y has. And there’s still more to come with it, too. The ball fields are coming next, and the current building already has plenty to offer, inside and outside.

It has taken a community effort to get the Y where it is now, from schoolkids bringing in their loose change to businesses digging deep into their pockets. Because of all the support the Y has received and been able to muster, Effingham now has a Y facility that is the envy of the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. Effingham Y directors also were able to have a pool included in the first phase, much to the surprise of the Coastal Georgia branch.

A longstanding and oft-repeated lament of Effingham residents is having a lack of things to do. The new YMCA ought to be able to fill some of that void.

As Y board chairman Pete Lancaster said last week, the Y won’t turn away anyone because of their inability to pay. There’s also still plenty of time to give, too, to the Y cause.

So much of what has been accomplished is a result of the community’s actions — and it’s all been for something the entire community can enjoy.