CLARION, Pa. — Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest) announced yesterday that a state grant worth $3 million will be directed to help fund the Clarion County YMCA’s new facility.
Clarion County YMCA was awarded $3 million through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, and is only one of four YMCAs to receive this amount of state support in the history of the program.
“The YMCA’s capital campaign has done a tremendous job in raising funds thus far, further evidence that our county is full of generous individuals, businesses and organizations that appreciate the importance of having a full-service YMCA here in Clarion County,” Oberlander added.
Many contributors gave to this project because of the new location, with significant contributions coming from the New Bethlehem, Knox, Lucinda, Fryburg, Emlenton, Shippenville, Strattanville and Clarion areas. YMCA officials attributed the success of local fundraising due to efforts from throughout the entire county.
“Clarion County YMCA feels very fortunate to join the elite group of YMCAs in the state to receive $3 million in funding. We are elated to receive this grant. This brings our total raised to over $10 million for the new Clarion County YMCA,” said Milissa Bauer and Al Lander, co-chairs of the Y’s capital campaign.
To demonstrate the county-wide support of the project, more than 100 letters of support accompanied the grant application.
“From the beginning of the campaign, this project was a county-wide project,” said Y Director Jesse Kelley. “The Clarion County YMCA has exploded in growth over the past few years, with residents from all over the county turning to the Y for its wide variety of social, wellness, educational and recreational programs. The Clarion County YMCA recorded more than 82,000 visits in 2015 for programs and events, outgrowing its current location and increasing demand for additional programming. The new YMCA will be more convenient to county residents being centrally located off Exit 62 on Interstate 80, less than a 25-minute drive from almost all areas of the county.”
“This grant would not have been awarded had it not been for our local leaders. When the grant application became held up in the review process, Rep. Donna Oberlander knew who to call and how to move it forward. Her experience in Harrisburg was invaluable,” said Bauer and Lander. “Rep. Oberlander led the charge but had key support from Sen. Scott Hutchinson, U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson and Democratic Chair Bill Miller. It was a bipartisan project to get this award for Clarion County.”
The project is expected to include a regional recreation center with a sports field located on a seven-acre tract easily accessible from Exit 62 off Interstate 80. The new facility will triple the size of the current Y and include a pool, a full-size gymnasium, an indoor track, a wellness center, a weight room, multiple purpose rooms, and locker facilities for men, women and families.
Money and pledges raised locally to date now total over $7 million, and this grant helps the capital campaign reach the $10 million mark.
“The YMCA will continue to raise funds for the project, aligning the building’s updated design with the final fundraising goal.” said Kelley. “For decades a full-service YMCA in Clarion County was a dream. Through the diligent efforts of our volunteers and staff both past and present, we’re now finally prepared to make that dream a reality.”
