By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
The Bucyrus YMCA has brought 12 new pieces of cardio equipment into the fold. Director Nate Smith described how capital campaign money has gone to increasing their offerings in an area, and in a time frame, when they need it the most.
“We’ve been so busy at night that we needed the new pieces,” Smith said.
January through April is the YMCA’s busiest period, as people look to escape the winter doldrums with a bit of activity. This winter, as everyone well knows, has been especially fierce, even to the point of keeping some people away from such activities as exercise. Smith mentioned that on some of those extremely cold days they saw a major downturn in morning attendance. With normal winter service resumed, however, the YMCA has been bouncing with activity, and these new machines have already seen plenty of action.
The Capital Campaign was started last May and ran through the end of 2013. This is a semi-regular fundraiser the YMCA holds to furnish funds for many sorts of improvements. Smith mentioned that a large chunk of this most recent campaign will go to replacing the building’s boilers.
The machines were purchased in January and arrived Saturday, February 15.
Six treadmills and three elliptical machines were purchased, totaling about $25,000. The Y had six of treadmills and three ellipticals before the purchase. Of those six treadmills, two were retired completely, two have been kept for any potential spare parts they could provide, and two have been left in the line of duty. All three previous ellipticals have been left in service. This means that where once there were nine pieces of cardio equipment, there are now 14: eight treadmills and 6 ellipticals.
“Every time I go down there, they’re being used,” Smith said.