Campaign brings new life to Daviess County YMCA pool
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“It was just very uncomfortable and unhealthy.”
Paula Van Tyle-Smith, CEO of the Daviess County Family YMCA, says the not-for-profit’s 25-meter pool area was in desperate need of an upgrade to its ventilation system.
The conditions in the pool area were causing not only issues to the facility itself but also the physical health of the people using the pool, which led the YMCA to launch a $700,000 capital campaign to replace the system.
The organization has raised over $520,000 to date, and Van Tyle-Smith said that was enough to begin work on the project, though more funds need to be raised to pay the effort off.
“In an indoor pool environment, you have to have a good ventilation system,” she said. “And our previous one was inoperable and truly, actually not built for a pool of our size, which is a 25-meter pool, which is pretty nice for a Y of our size. It being broken, we started seeing the walls were sweating, people were having a issue breathing. It took a big toll on everybody’s physical health [and] caused a lot of mold.”
The issues were not just affecting the main pool area, but the pool maintenance facility and the balcony overlooking the pool, she said.
“You’re always going to have some heat and humidity in indoor pool. You have to, but we were at 95% humidity and no no kind of air refrigeration whatsoever.”
So, the YMCA kicked off the “Improve, Invest, Impact 2023 Capital Campaign” to raise the necessary funds to improve the pool’s ventilation.
The project required a new heat recovery unit (HRU) to improve air quality, new ductwork to aid in enhanced ventilation, a new family bathroom HVAC unit to replace a faulty existing one, and repainting of numerous areas that were affected due to the inoperative HRU.
The organization was able to raise enough money for a down payment to allow work to begin this spring, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Aug. 15 to celebrate the upgraded facility.
Van Tyle-Smith said it has been heartwarming to see the entire community rally behind the project.
“I have never lived in such a small community where people have just truly stepped up and realize the value of the Y and the pool and what a gem it is for our county; we are the only indoor pool in Davis County,” she said. “We have had…the county, the city, the economic development corporation here, the hospital and individuals members and people who aren’t even members of the Y who are donating. and it’s just made such a tremendous difference.”
The fundraising effort was recently boosted by a $50,000 donation from Iowa-based Grain Processing Corp., which operates a facility in the Daviess County city of Washington.
“GPC’s contribution to the Daviess County YMCA is a symbol of the mutually beneficial relationship between our company and the surrounding community,” GPC Washington’s plant manager Shannon Dalton said in a news release. “We are proud to support the YMCA in their work to improve the lives of Washington residents.”
The YMCA just has a few small touch-ups to make before the project is fully complete, but Van Tyle-Smith says the pool area is fully functional again.
The organization still needs to raise about $180,000 to cover the cost of the project. Those wishing to donate can do so by clicking here and selecting “Capital Campaign Contributions” when making their donation.