MEDINA —  

Thirty-five years ago, the Medina area community suffered a major blow when the local National Guard unit was pulled out and the state closed the Pearl Street armory.

However, the community refused to give up on the historic armory building, rallying to form the Armory Action Committee which resulted just seven years later, in 1985, in the formation of the Lake Plains YMCA.

Over the past three decades the “Y” has faced and overcome numerous challenges, including building maintenance, fundraising and program development, while continuing to expand its impact on the region.

In 2009, the Y’s efforts to reach and serve a larger portion of the region was well illustrated when the organization was renamed the Orleans County YMCA and in 2010 it became a member of the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties) YMCA organization.

Efforts to expand both regionally and in programming is apparently paying big dividends as YMCA membership is up some 35 percent over the past year and a half.

“I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Orleans YMCA Director Jeff Winters said in noting that the Y now views its coverage area as all of Orleans and into eastern Niagara County. “We’re really trying to be community-oriented, county-wide organization, and that membership increase is really a huge increase. Both in terms of membership and financially, we are moving in a positive direction. We’re growing.”

Winters notes that the Y’s rapid growth of membership units (which includes the various types of membership, including family, adult, youth and senior) has increased to 540 units from 375 in 2010.

“Jeff really deserves the majority of credit for the growth,” Orleans YMCA Board Chairman Dean Bellack said. “He’s a very hard worker and has done a great job. We really appreciate Jeff and his staff and the hard work they put in.”

Increasing the number and variety of youth and adult programs has also played a big part in the successful growth.

Youth leagues now include soccer, basketball, floor hockey and lacrosse, while adult competition has volleyball (coed and power leagues), which has proved to be very popular — and now basketball, which was once a Y staple, is set to make a return to the local hardwood on Feb. 5.

“The kids’ leagues have been very popular, as we average over 100 kids per session, with basketball being our biggest one; and with the adults, volleyball has been our biggest drawing card,” said Winters, who expects the upcoming adult basketball league to also be popular.

“We’ve really tried to increase the variety of programs,” Winters said.

Those increases also include a wide variety of fitness and wellness programs for adults and youth, with facilities including exercise rooms, weight room and a fully equipped fitness center that features treadmills, elliptical machines, steppers, recumbent bikes and free weights.

Bellack notes that the Y’s fitness efforts also include an upcoming weight loss contest that is open to members and non-members and begins Feb. 1.

“We’ve added a number of group exercise classes and we have a wellness education program, so I think this weight loss contest will be an exciting addition,” Bellack said.

The Y’s other valuable family services have also grown to include day care in both Medina and Albion.

“You have to have a disciplined approach to development, and our staff has really bought into what we are doing and have just been great,” Winters said.

Both Winters and Bellack stress that as part of the Y’s community service mission, no one is turned away who cannot afford to pay for a membership.

“We don’t deny anyone who wants to join and we have a scholarship program to help those who need financial assistance in obtaining a membership,” Winters said.

Bellack also points to the importance of community and village support for the Y’s success in a wide variety of areas, including one that many would not normally think of — parking.

“We really thank the village board and the mayor for approving the one-way on Pearl Street for parking,” said Bellack, noting that it will virtually double the number of on-street parking spots. “It is a significant help to our members for accessibility

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and also really helps us move forward with our future plans. The armory is a fantastic structure, but we do have some challenges and we really appreciate the great support from the community.”

To be sure, both in terms of making needed building repairs or renovations, and maintaining or expanding programming, funding is always a major concern. And as Bellack notes, that funding all has to be generated locally from membership, annual fundraising drives and gifts.

“We are chartered by the YMCA nationally, but our funds have to be generated locally,” Bellack said. “Memberships and our annual fundraiser, we need and depend upon them coming together. We need and are most appreciative of the financial support from the community so that we can continue to give back to the community.”

From child care to fitness and wellness programs to youth and adult leagues, most would say the Orleans County YMCA has, over the past three decades, shown to be a very positive growth story that has re-purposed the historic armory building into a very useful and beneficial community recreation center.