SHORELINE — People who run the Dale Turner YMCA knew the grand opening over the weekend would be big. Just how big, they didn’t know.
That is until the doors opened.
“Originally, I think we had anticipated 1,000 or 1,500 people and as we got closer to the day the excitement grew,” said Amy Holland, YMCA marketing and communications manager.
A steady stream of almost 3,000 people visited the 52,000-square-foot facility during the grand opening celebration. Visitors enjoyed cooking and dancing demonstrations, face painting, family yoga and group activities in the pool and gymnasium.
“It’s a fabulous facility,” Edmonds resident Dianne Hanna said as she considered becoming a member of the new facility. “The cycle classes, the openness of the gym, the pool, the sauna — you can’t beat it.”
The new YMCA is named after the Rev. Dale Turner, the late senior minister at University Congregational Church and a columnist for The Seattle Times. A Lake Forest Park resident, Turner was also elected to the Life Board of the YMCA of Greater Seattle in recognition of his service to the Y.
Members of the Turner family attended a dedication ceremony at the facility on Oct. 2.
“This is very fitting for the Turner family and dad would’ve loved it,” Greg Turner said.
Dale Turner was rescued from almost drowning in a river when he was just 9 years old and he felt strongly that the last 79 years of his life were a gift, Greg Turner said.
“He dedicated his life to serving others after that because it was all a gift to be given away,” Greg Turner told the group that packed into the Y’s lobby.
The YMCA’s executive director Courtney Whitaker promised the Turner family that she and her staff will continue to embody the spirit of Turner in their daily interactions.
“There has been nothing quite as touching to me as walking a member of this community through the YMCA hard-hat tour and hearing about the meaningful impact that Turner had on their life,” Whitaker said. “He’s been a resource for so many in this community.”
The new facility also will be a resource to families in the surrounding communities, Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, said.
“It just has everything that families need to connect with each other and support their children growing up,” she said.
The Dale Turner YMCA is one of three new YMCAs that are part of the It’s All About Community! Capital Campaign, according to Matt Griffin co-chair of the capital campaign.
To date the campaign has raised $34.3 million of its $40 million goal, Griffin said.
Memberships to the facility are also on the rise, Holland said. She anticipates more members will be added to the approximately 5,000 member total throughout the month while the Y is waiving the fee to join.
“It’s busy around here,” she said. “People are still streaming through the door for tours.”
The new Dale Turner YMCA will change the community for the better, Robert Gilbertson Jr., president of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, said at the dedication.
“This community will not be the same,” Gilbertson said. “I daresay in 18 months there will be people who won’t be able to imagine how this community did what it did without the Y.”
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