YMCA merger will broaden service area for residents
Wooster Y directors spell out YMCA: Gwen Sommer, left, CEO and executive director; Laney Gilmore, youth director; Lindsey Steiner, sports director; and Nikki Fehrenbach, membership director.
The YMCA of Orrville and the YMCA of Wooster will officially merge to become the YMCA of Wayne County on Jan. 1, 2019.
The merger is the culmination of months of discussion and planning. “It will broaden our service area,” said Gwen Sommer, CEO and executive director of the Wooster facility. “It made sense for the Orrville and Wooster Y’s to come together so we could serve all of Wayne County.”
Programming has already expanded in Creston and Rittman. Sommer said the Y is now looking toward developing programs in Smithville, Dalton and Apple Creek.
“Hopefully we will have Silver Sneakers in Dalton,” Sommer said.
Silver Sneakers is a program designed to help seniors keep fit and have opportunities for socializing.
Youth programming is in the works for Smithville, and Orrville has already expanded with gymnastics. Karate and youth sports are planned for November in Orrville.
There will be an increase in membership rates in Orrville to match the Wooster rates. Individuals and families interested in joining will find the range of rates available in the brochure at the Wooster Y at 680 Woodland Ave. in Wooster or online at www.woosterymca.org.
Once the merger is effective in January, both Wooster and Orrville will share one webpage and Facebook page as the YMCA of Wayne County.
Wooster programming is expanding. “We are adding three yoga classes per week starting in November,” membership director Nikki Fehrenbach said. “We’re hoping to try some goat yoga.”
Goat yoga is yoga for humans with socialized pygmy goats in the room to offer their attention to participants. It’s not a yoga class for goats.
Three new kickboxing classes have already been added to current Wooster programming.
Beyond classes, workshops and fitness programming, the YMCA has two traditional Thanksgiving community events and a variety of other activities for area individuals of all ages.
The Thanksgiving dinner is free and open to everyone. A full dinner will be offered on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Wooster Y on Woodland. “We’ve had up to 500 people attend,” Fehrenbach said.
Volunteers, financial donations and donations of turkeys are needed. Call Lori Colon at 330-202-6107 or email lori.colon@schaeffler.com.
On Thanksgiving morning another YMCA family tradition is the Turkey Trot 5k in memory of longtime YMCA employee Jim Boyd.
“It’s a fun family event,” Sommer said. “Families come in matching T-shirts. People wear turkey hats and tutus.”
The race will take place behind Wooster High School on the cross-country course. Register at the YMCA in Wooster or online prior to Nov. 5 to guarantee a shirt at www.woosterymca.org/register-online.
A monthly middle school event is among the new Y offerings this fall. Open to grade 6-8, the parties cost $5 per person and are held at the YMCA of Wooster Gymnastics Program Center, 1578 Mechanicsburg Road, Wooster, from 8-10 p.m.
There will be a neon night glow party on Friday, Nov. 9 and an ugly sweater party on Friday, Dec. 7. The venue has added a huge foam pit and dance party room with a disc jockey. There also will be open tumbling, a ninja warrior course, climbing walls and a snack bar.
The YMCA is a nonprofit organization that relies on volunteers, donations and fees collected through dues. Summer scholarships for youth programs are funded entirely through donations.
“During the summer about 95 percent of the kids we serve come from low-income households, so they either receive all or part of their summer camp for free,” said Laney Gilmore, youth director.
Call Sommer for financial donations at 330-254-3131 or email gsommer@woosterymca.org.
To volunteer at the Y, email Gilmore at lgillmore@woosterymca.org.
Volunteer needs can range from landscaping, to painting, to sports, to helping with events. “If anyone has a special skill they’d like to share with youth, they should get in touch,” Gilmore said.
At the Y it’s all about serving the community in a wide variety of ways. “We are for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” Sommer said. “We are super excited about the merger because we are going to expand and serve more people.”
For more information about any Wayne County YMCA programs, call the Wooster Y at 330- 264-3131 or the Orrville Y at 330-683-2153.