The Y is a community of families and friends. – Karen Perko
In less than two weeks the Geauga County YMCA will have been open 15 years at the corner of Mayfield and Bass Lake roads in Munson Township.
Although the full-service facility was not dedicated until May of 2004, Karen Perko remembers seeing the many residents who gathered Feb. 9, 2004.
“We had lines out the door,” said Perko, YMCA director of membership. She recalls the state-of-the-art equipment and systems in the new building and people waiting patiently to sign up. She said she was amazed at the turn out that February day.
It was a dream come true for the committee that spearheaded the project, chaired by Debbie Johnson, David Osborn and Larry Dolan, she said.
“It was very collaborative,” Perko said.
It was also the beginning of a network of like-minded residents that has spread to include members who hail from surrounding counties, she said.
Paul Conley, YMCA Geauga executive director since 2016, said the facility has about 10,500 members and, over its 15 years, has had more than three million visits.
During that time the non-profit has had close to 5,000 volunteers for youth programs and other activities, he said.
“I think that’s amazing. Many people don’t think of us as a volunteer opportunity,” Conley said.
And, while members may refer to the Y as “the gym,” it offers more than weights, treadmills and showers, Perko said. The swimming pool is popular for recreation, lessons, exercise and therapy while the fitness center sees a non-stop stream of members daily, all working out to improve their physical condition.
“We have a community and people have friendships they don’t have other places,” she said. “The Y is a community of families and friends.”
Conley said he knows one member who lives in Pittsburg but works during the week in Geauga County. The man spends much of his free time at the Y, often staying until the doors close in the evenings.
”He says it’s better than going to a bar,” Conley said, offering the member as an example of the many people who visit regularly as an antidote to the isolation common to many seniors and stay-at-home parents, to name a few. Parents with toddlers find the Child Watch program allows them to work out and socialize while their children enjoy supervised play, he said.
Participation is part and parcel of the Y’s environment and it can start very early. In early January pre-natal classes were added to the menu of programs available to members. It gives mothers-to-be a chance to get together and establish supportive relationships.
“It’s fun to see them develop into true friends,” he said.
The Y also collaborated with University Hospitals to create a new 12-week program for cancer survivors called LiveStrong, Perko said. It is funded through donations and another small group may be forming in February, if resources are found, she said.
“It’s incredible to see people participate and grow and continue on that path,” she said.
Some groups form around activities, such as the active older adult swimmers who call themselves the Geauga Aquanauts.
“The Aquanauts are 100 percent member-led,” Perko said. While they met at the Y, the group continues to evolve, meeting for lunches, going to the movies and sharing a FaceBook page, she said.
The Y houses a Sunday morning service by Maple Hills Church and organizes bus trips for seniors to wineries and historical sites, Conley said. A painting class led by a staff member has proven to be highly popular, Perko said.
There are fees attached to some activities but joining the Geauga Y is within the budget of most families and, if a person or family has financial difficulties, there are various scholarships, Conley said.
The Geauga Y is associated with the YMCA of Greater Cleveland which was formed in 1854, according to the website. The vision, to be the premier community-based, charitable organization that embraces collaborations to build strong kids, strong families and strong communities, has been carried on for 15 years and provides the focus for the Geauga leadership team. Perko said she has grown through the Y and its programs.
“I like the philosophy of the Y and what we stand for,” she said.
Plans are still in the works for an anniversary celebration some time in the spring or early summer, she said.
