SARASOTA (WSNN) – One year ago, SNN was bringing you stories of financial hardship and the last-ditch effort to ‘Save the Y,’ and now ‘Our Y‘ is celebrating one year.
“Welcome to the First Anniversary of the Save Our Y Program,” the guitar player announces at the event.
“I’m so grateful, I don’t even know how to express it in words,” President, Jim Purdy said.
After financial struggles almost shut down the YMCA fitness center Purdy and longtime Y members turned it around and saved what’s now known as ‘Our Y.’ Now they’re celebrating.
“It’s really exciting,” Purdy said. “Like anybody else, we’ve had some obstacles to overcome, but I think we’re really starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Obstacles requiring a lot of leg work to get Our Y back up and running again.
“There were a lot of sleepless nights, I can guarantee you that, but we did it, and we’re happy as heck,” Purdy said. “And to be honest with you, I never thought in a million years thought that we would have the community support that we’ve received.”
All thanks to the dedication of time and sweat from staff, board members, and the community.
“There are no people truer and honest and passionate about what they do,” Fitness instructor Kristin Orozco Manninen said. “Never gave up, they were amazing,” Fitness instructor Janet Boyden said.
Orozco Manninen says it was endless hours of their own time re-signing up every member, re-hiring instructors, and raising nearly 2.3 million dollars.
“It was pretty depressing, like a year and a month ago, but things are really looking up,” Member turned to the instructor, Michael Patneaude said. “A lot has changed.”
And Purdy says the celebration would be a lot bigger if it weren’t for the pandemic.
“Normally we would be blowing the roof off, but we’re trying to be responsible and sensitive to what’s going on,” Purdy said.
But they still enjoyed sweets, music, and massages.
Our Y is hosting a launch party with some fitness classes at its free open house this Saturday. it starts at 8 am and everyone is welcome. There’s more information on their website.