Thank you to everyone who came Saturday morning to celebrate the near completion of our “Unlocking the Future” major locker room renovation. The atmosphere was absolutely jubilant – a mix of holiday cheer and a giddiness that both this project is almost finished, and that it looks wonderful! Kirsten, Marianne, Camilla, and Ally were practically skipping down the hallways to give tours. We ate a delicious brunch (avo toast!) and enjoyed fellowship with members, leadership, donors, board members, and staff.
I came to the YWCA while rehabbing from an accident. I do not know how many miles I swam in the pool, but I do know that I learned a few things about the locker rooms. The old locker rooms were, well, old. The sauna was a sad, droopy sort of place that didn’t get a lot of love. If I turned it on before getting in the pool, I had a 50/50 chance that it would be hot enough when I got out 45 minutes later. I liked the lever temperature control showers better than the ones that had separate knobs for hot and cold. The second row of long lockers had less rust than the first, and so on. You get the idea.
Newcomers, you will regretfully not have to figure out any intimate tricks with the brand-spanking-new sauna, showers, and lockers. We are aware that people often choose a gym based on the amenities in the locker room, so we understand if you perhaps passed us by because the old locker rooms had not evolved from the 1960s.
Please come back and check out our beautifully renovated facilities. Did you know you can pre-pay 2018’s fees in January and get 20% off? Or that you can get a free four-day pass? You are our future, and we hope you will join our gym, enjoy the comradery, and fall in love with our mission. I did.
Whitney Simpson serves on YWCA’s Board of Directors, and is a Visiting Professor in the Wake Forest University School of Business.
