YMCA exploring possible branch in Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — The YMCA could have a lot to offer Moses Lake, if the community wants one.

“(It) would probably have an aquatic center with one or two pools in it,” said Dorry Foster, CEO of Wenatchee Valley YMCA. “A zero entry pool with a little splash area for the kiddos, three-foot depth, warm water (and a) secondary pool that’s a little bit colder that would be for recreational swimming, aqua exercise, more swim lessons for older kids, family time … There could be a gymnasium, that’s very typical, and then some program amenities, maybe like a community room, a rec room, places where people can come and meet.”

It may sound like a pipe dream, but Teresa Fields of Moses Lake thinks it’s a possibility. She and a few other Moses Lake residents recently met with Foster to explore the possibility of Wenatchee Valley YMCA opening a branch facility here.

“People are saying they want a pool,” Fields said. “(Moses Lake doesn’t) have a pool that’s open year-round other than the high school, and the high school is cutting back so now they’re unable to use the high school pool. The man who brought this to me said ‘I swim, and I want a six- to nine-lane Olympic-sized pool.’ Can you imagine the income it would bring if people could come here to compete like we do with baseball or softball versus going to Spokane?”

“At this point, we’re just exploring what the needs are in the community (and) how the Y might be able to fill those needs,” Foster said. “Ultimately, if the community said, ‘Boy, this would be super cool if this could happen and here are some services that we would love the Y to provide,’ then we’d call in a company called Gro.”

Gro Development is a nationwide company that specializes in planning and designing community centers like the YMCA, Foster explained. Gro would do an assessment of Moses Lake and the surrounding area to see what services are needed, as well as what’s already available so as not to have nonprofits stepping on each other’s toes.

“(Gro) pulls the demographics from the area and then the community gets a look at those demographics and (can say), ‘OK, it looks like there’s an opportunity. It looks like it would serve this many people and if you were to build a facility, it would be so many square feet with these various amenities.’”

The process takes about four to six months, Foster said. But before that assessment can be commissioned, more people need to be on board.

“Where we are right now (is), trying to figure out if there’s need, and if there is need, can we raise enough funds to do a Gro report that would determine and ultimately allow us to have a chartered YMCA opportunity in Moses Lake,” Foster said. “We go to the hospital CEOs, we go to the superintendents, the mayors, identified community leaders (and say), ‘This is what we’re seeing. Is this something that resonates with you as a community leader?’ And then from there we have to form an advisory council that moves us forward into the next phase, whatever that may be.”

The YMCA typically considers only the population within a 12-minute drive of a proposed location, Foster said, but in central Washington, a 20-minute or longer drive might be more reasonable. The Larson Community is within that range for not only Moses Lake but also Soap Lake and Ephrata, which would expand the service area considerably, Fields pointed out. A YMCA location in that neighborhood would also serve children who have trouble accessing Moses Lake’s city recreational facilities because of lack of transportation.

The YMCA is supported by paid memberships, but also raises money for scholarships for low-income families, so children can use the facility and perhaps have summer camp and after-school opportunities, Foster said.

“What we’re doing is making sure that no child is ever denied access due to the inability to pay,” she said.

Moses Lake is growing, Fields said, and now is the time to think big as far as bringing a recreational facility like the YMCA to town.

“The push right now is just to have this growth study done, if I can just touch everybody. I’ve sent letters out to corporations, a modest letter (saying) ‘If we bring a Y in, it will not only help your employees and their families, it’ll help your company keep your employees and families healthy.’”

    A YMCA facility in Moses Lake could include a gym for youth and adult sports.
  

    One of the YMCA’s amenities is KidZone, a safe place for children to play while the adults are using the pool, gym, or other facilities.