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Atmore YMCA Will Close Permanently On Friday
November 28, 2018
The Atmore YMCA will permanently cease operations and close Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.
The Atmore YMCA has served Atmore and surrounding areas since June 1995, but fundraising and membership efforts were not enough to keep the facility open. Two full time and nine part-time employees are losing their jobs.
The facility announced a closure in 2014, but an influx of community funding kept the doors open. At last count the Y had over 600 members.
The YMCA will hold an “estate sale” on December 8 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and December 9 from noon until 4 p.m. to sell assets. Funds will be used to pay outstanding debts.
Pictured top: The Atmore Area YMCA building. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Comments
7 Responses to “Atmore YMCA Will Close Permanently On Friday”
This is so sad! The members depend on the Y for so much more than exercise! For many, it is a reason to get up and out of the house. It’s a chance to socialize with like-minded friends. It has become a family. It seems that someone could have come up with a solution. Today we will mourn the loss of what has become a routine for many. Tomorrow and in the days ahead we will grieve over this loss. I pray we can find a new “home “.
The YMCA is/was a great asset to Atmore, however I do think they missed the mark on a few things. They didn’t have a website that promoted all they offered. It’s really hard to be successful these days without utilizing social media/internet. I agree with Larry, other payment options should have been offered. People are protective of their bank account information, as they should be. They didn’t offer group classes during times when people could make it. Classes during the work day are not going to be successful; you have to make things available for your work force people. Every January, millions of people make New Year’s Resolution to get fit and lose weight. A couple of YMCA’s have created a Team Lean program & partnered with local restaurants & created a “Team Lean” menu at each restaurant. That’s a great way to partner with your community. I think I read where it was a few months and at the end the “team” that lost the most won the overall prize. Additionally, hosting a few 5k’s could also be benificial as a money making event. Anyway…maybe the Y’s Board already thought of all of these and knew it still wouldn’t help their current situation. I hate this for the community.
Where’s the city politicians? Fiddling like Nero in old Rome? This has been coming for A number of years-they knew it…now what becomes of that beautiful old building?
It is sad the YMCA is closing. Not surprised though. When driving through Atmore it appears the entire city is closed. That is also sad.
After they had been bought out the last time, the new owners from Mobile wouldn’t allow you to join unless you gave them access to your checking account. I told them I would pay in cash 1 year in advance but they wouldn’t do it. Their closure is due to their own ignorance. I as many others would not give them access to our bank accounts so they didn’t have anyone signing up. Poor business management.
It is hard to believe that six hundred members could not support a Y. Never been in the building, but it looks beautiful and expensive to maintain. Most new Ys are a steel building boxes which have the lowest maintenance costs.
This is such a Shame that after this many years open that the YMCA will be closed as if a Book. and all the Members have to look for another place to Go to, and these Employees having to look for Jobs,. Heart Breaking.