On Thursday, the Portage Township YMCA gave exclusive tours of their newly renovated building on Willowcreek Road to show off the recent transformation that it has undergone. The YMCA invited members of the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce to the Y where they offered behind-the-scenes guided tours to Chamber members as well as drinks and refreshments donated by Edible Arrangements, Texas Roadhouse and other businesses in the Portage area.
“We had our first ever major shut down for these improvements,” said Amber Alexander, Interim CEO for the Portage Township YMCA. “We did it all in one week from July 12th to the 19th and the whole building was closed down except for the state-licensed child care. From the ceiling to the floor we cleaned, dusted, got the carpets cleaned and redid the gymnasium floor. We got new signage out front and we went through lots and lots of paint. We did pretty much all of the painting throughout the building. The only professionals we brought in did the carpets, the signage and the electric work. It was fun though and it really was a great team building exercise for all of us.”
“We’ve got lots and lots of activities that happen at the Y,” said Alexander. “We have three general areas that we serve: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The majority of people know us for the healthy living aspect and most of people you’ll find at the Y are health seekers. When you sign up to the Y you get to meet with a Wellness Coach who will help you talk about your goals, provide follow-up accountability sessions and talk about your diet and keeping you on track.”
Among the new additions to the Portage YMCA is a track above the gymnasium which features a new floor that is softer than pavement and easier on the feet which is a great help when you’re running fifteen laps around the track to equal to one mile. The racquetball court, which was paid for by a group of enthusiastic racquetball players in the Portage area, is another new addition that the YMCA is really excited about having. Amateurs are encouraged to give it a try and the Y is considering it a highlight of the facility as not many places in the region have racquetball courts.
“One of the coolest parts about the Y is that there’s always someone around to help,” said Alexander. “We’re like one big community family here; everyone is so willing to step in and help eachother out, the atmosphere is fantastic.”
Echoing those sentiments, and excited about the upcoming Corporate Challenge taking place at the Y, was the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce President, Nancy Simpson.
“The YMCA is one of our six Copper Partners with the Portage Chamber of Commerce and we do a lot of events together,” said Simpson. “Amber is on several committees and a few of our board members are also on the board of the Y so we work together quite a lot. We’ll do anything we can do to help promote the wonderful things going on at the YMCA.”
In October, the YMCA will be hosting the Corporate Challenge which they do twice a year. Businesses are encouraged to sign up between August 10 - September 4. Employers, employees and their significant others will participate in challenges that are meant to engage contestants toward a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Whether it’s physical activities, trivia, or volunteerism the object is to get these corporations and their staff to earn points toward a trophy and bragging rights until the next Corporate Challenge comes along.
Go to http://www.ymcaofportage.org/ to see more about the Corporate Challenge or to find out about the amazing new facilities, programs and corporate discounts offered at the Portage Township YMCA.
Also, stop in here http://www.portageinchamber.com/ to see what’s going on with the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce.