Slowly but surely the Warren County YMCA has begun to open back up by offering some outdoor classes, Day Camp, and here recently lap swimming and swim lessons. CEO Sam Brooks reports now they are looking forward to Phase 4 and reopening the entire Y:
“We are hopeful to reopen the YMCA with our Wellness Center, free weight room, gymnasium, and things of that nature. I believe Phase 4 begins June 26th, which is a Friday, and we are looking at opening around that time, the 26th or the 29th. We just have to wait and see what the guidelines for capacity are because we want to do this right. We have three pillars at the Y, Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility. We are really focusing on the social responsibility part with complying with what the directives are. We need to comply because that is who we are at the YMCA,” Brooks states.
The new aquatics park across from the Warren County YMCA is 99.5% complete. COVID-19 did deliver some slowdowns to the process, but the pool itself is likely to be completed next week, weather permitting. Brooks reports they will then be waiting on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s inspection:
“Right now as we have been in communication with them, they don’t know when they are going to be released by the Governor to be able to go out and do those inspections. They are hopeful by July 1st and we have been told we are number one on their list because we had our request in early. We cannot do anything until we get that stamp of approval. I would love, love, love to give a date and say ‘We will be open on this date.’ Also, we don’t know what the guidelines are going to be. We don’t know if Governor Pritzker is even going to allow outdoor pools at all, we don’t know. We are hopeful, but we will, if we are able to open, we will open at whatever capacity we can. We feel strongly that this is something our community needs and desires and I think it will be a shot of energy for our community and a positive energy,” Brooks says.
