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Eugene Y gets $1 million challenge grant for new facility

Rachael McDonald
/
KLCC
The new 75,000 square foot facility will be built at 24th and Hilyard near Roosevelt Middle School in Eugene

The Eugene Family YMCA is getting closer to its fundraising goal for a new $47.6 million facility. They hope a challenge gift of $1 million will be matched by community donations in the next few weeks.

Danielle Uhlhorn is the Y’s chief development officer. She says the community phase of the fundraiser recently reached $3 million.

She says she’s confident they can meet the match from the Tykeson Family Foundation with community support.

“We’re super grateful that the Tykesons were committed to this project,” Uhlhorn said. “They gave early on in the campaign a few years ago. And after seeing the work that our Y did in response to the pandemic in offering free childcare they were especially inspired to ensure that this fundraising was complete.”

The Y has also received state funding and other contributions, including from hundreds of community members.

The Y plans to break ground on the 75,000 square foot facility this summer and open in December 2023.

The Eugene Family YMCA says its new facility will serve thousands more community members and eliminate inefficient or unusable spaces. The current building is 50,000 square feet.

● A fully ADA-accessible, flexible floor plan that can change as needed

● Activity centers for academic tutoring, maker spaces and learning labs

● A teaching kitchen for families and individuals to gain nutritional knowledge

● An expanded Health & Wellness Center that includes an indoor track and cycle room

● An expanded Aquatics Center to teach youth safety skills, support rehabilitation and preventative care, and a splash pad for introducing water to toddlers

● The addition of critical programs like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s support, and Falls Prevention

● The highest level of seismic standards so the building can be re-purposed as a shelter after a devastating earthquake

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s host for All Things Considered on weekday afternoons. She also is the editor of the KLCC Extra, the daily digital newspaper. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000.