Ottawa YMCA featured for its ‘wow factor’ in national magazine

While the people in the Ottawa area still are discovering how terrific their new YMCA is, so are others around the country thanks to Athletic Business Magazine.

In the July/August issue of the national publication, the Ottawa Y is being hailed as one of four entities bringing a “wow factor” to their communities and greater areas.

And it’s not only for its new structure.

The article also highlights the expanding list of evidence-based, health-enhancing efforts at the Y, from several that started in the former facility at 201 E. Jackson St. in 2018 to the latest ones about to be offered at the new facility at 411 Canal St., which opened May 13.

“We’re very pleased with the fact that they’re recognizing the good things we’re doing here in Ottawa with this new facility.”

—  Joe Capece, Ottawa YMCA president and CEO

The other three YMCAs cited by the magazine are the Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties in Salem, Oregon; the Mahaska YMCA in Oskaloosa, Iowa; and the Speer YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg in Florida.

“What’s interesting about this,” Ottawa YMCA President and CEO Joe Capece said, “is that the recommendation came from our national headquarters in Chicago in a nationwide look of everything going on across the country, as you can see by all four.

“So naturally, we’re very pleased with the fact that they’re recognizing the good things we’re doing here in Ottawa with this new facility.”

The article begins, “The new Ottawa YMCA, an achievement of many partners, strengthens the health of its community.”

It then describes the 2018 approval to provide Enhance Fitness, a group exercise program for older adults and one of the first evidence-based programs offered in Ottawa. Capece said the Y will continue to expand its programming by applying for, obtaining and training its staff for the evidence-based programs offered by the national YMCA.

Since then, the YMCA has added several more, including diabetes classes virtually during the pandemic and the Livestrong program to help cancer patients in 2020, the same year the Y entered into its partnership with OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

More recently, it has introduced the Rock Steady Boxing for Parkinson’s patients – which has had success at the Streator YMCA – a soon-to-be initiated blood pressure-monitoring class and a stroke wellness program.

OSF St. Elizabeth has provided the framework for Healthy Kids U, which has been integrated into the child care program, as well as physical and water therapy.

The article goes on to describe the layout of the building – including the public area “living room” at the entrance, the competition lap pool, the classrooms/meeting rooms, the weight and exercise rooms, and the gymnasium with the overhead running/jogging track.

And there’s a chapel for spiritual well-being.

All the while, the article reads, patrons are treated to “picturesque views of the Illinois and Fox rivers.”

It concludes with a description of two artistic pieces at the building: the chapel’s stained-glass window, which was designed by a local artist on commission of a donor, and the bronze statue of children with arms forming the letters “YMCA,” as often is done when the Village People song is played.

Capece said he is “very pleased” with the response from the community that the new facility has drawn in its first two months of operation.

“The community has been amazing,” he said. “We are all enjoying our new space, even though we’re working out the kinks from all the little tweaks that need to be done with any new construction, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and support of the new facility.”