YMCA of Columbus, Georgia
Description
The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association), emphasizing mind, body, spirit, was founded in London in 1844. The first associations in North America were organized in 1851. Five years later, the YMCA came to Columbus, GA on November 18, 1856.
The YMCA began in Columbus when a committee consisting of P.H. Colquitt, William Gesner, and S. Boykin, calling themselves "the Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association," invited young men of Columbus to an organizational meeting. Two months later, the association had 30 members and grew to 70 members by July 1857. The meetings were held in various churches and around Columbus. The first president was W.C. Hodges.
By May 1859, the YMCA activities were conducted at 89 Broad St. above the Redd-Johnson Dry Goods Company in the central part of the city. J.S. Pemberton, the inventor of the Coca-Cola formula, was president. The outbreak of the Civil War disrupted the work of the YMCA. The association was re-established in 1883 with R. J. Clark as president. At that time, the YMCA was located at 1011 Broad St. above the Max Cohn Store.
In 1888, the "Hock Strausser" corner, later known as the Ralph Howard Drug Store corner, 11th and Broad St., became the scene of the YMCA activities. While at this location, the physical department was added to the religious and social activities.
In a letter dated September 20, 1901, philanthropist George Foster Peabody makes the following proposal to then YMCA President J.A. Kirven: ...."I beg now, upon behalf of my brothers (Roy Confield Peabody and Charles Jones Peabody) and myself to formally confirm our offer to erect a building to cost not less than $35,000 suitable for occupancy by the YMCA and to be placed upon a lot of ground to be provided and deeded to the association by other friends, free of lien. This offer is conditioned upon the purchase and payment for this land, and upon the raising of as much as $10,000 in cash to be invested and held by the trustees of the association for an endowment fund."
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RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS
facebook.comThe YMCA of Metropolitan Columbus, GA would like to thank ALL Military & First Responders for their dedicated service. For the month of September, we are waiving ALL joining fees for military, EMS, Fire & medical personnel (with valid I.D.). It's a small token of our appreciation for all you do for our community. Beginning Sunday, September 1st stop by any of our branches for information about our different membership options! We can't wait to welcome you to the YMCA!
🏐Women's Volleyball🏐 Get ready to Bump, Set, Spike! Our Women's Volleyball League is open for registration! Beginning in October, we'll be holding games on Tuesday's & Thursday's at 6pm at our John P. Thayer branch! We will hold a handful of practices up until games begin on October 15th. You can register as a team of 10 ($300) or individually ($35) & we'll place you on a team! Either way, come join us for some Fall fun at the YMCA! **This leagues is open to BOTH members & non-members. Registration forms can be picked up at either front desk! Questions? Please contact our Association Sports Director, Antonio Mathis at amathis@ymcacolumbusga.com.
Photos from YMCA of Columbus, Georgia's post
🏆Welcome to the F.I.T. Zone🏆 Our racquetball court conversion is officially complete & we are thrilled to announce the addition of ‘The F.I.T. Zone’! This Functional Interval Training (F.I.T.) space will offer our members a chance to engage in small-group training, as well as individual workouts. The equipment will bring a new dynamic of training to our members & enhance your workout capabilities. Come check out the new space & get a tour from one of our wellness coaches! The space will officially open for use on Friday, August 30th! #ymcacolga #thefitzone #healthyliving
Photos from YMCA of Columbus, Georgia's post
#HealthyLiving New Toy Tuesday- our converted Racquetball Court is taking shape nicely! What’s your favorite piece of equipment?
📣INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT📣 Please allow us to introduce Mr. Dwayne Bankston! A personal trainer, RPM instructor & natural-born motivator, Dwayne is such a wonderful addition to our team here at the YMCA. Having been teaching for over three years, Dwayne finds the style of his classes to be encouraging with just enough toughness to push participants to work slightly harder than they thought they could! Dwayne is passionate about helping people achieve their fitness goals. A member recently described Dwayne's HIIT class as "slow & sneaky." Stating that, "Dwayne comes in soft-spoken & slowly sneaks the butt-kicking in on you!" Sounds like a good class to us!! You can find Dwayne teaching both HIIT & RPM at our D.A. Turner location this quarter!
⚽️FALL SOCCER⚽️ Hey Parents! Have your registered your child for fall soccer yet?! Registration is now open & spots are still available for the upcoming season. Whether your child has prior experience or is brand new to the sport, all boys & girls (ages 4-12) are welcome to participate! Our program is based on Christian values and the concept that our athletes come first, winning come seconds. Our youth sports programs provide a positive, all-inclusive environment for children of all ages to learn, develop & grow. **You do NOT need to be a member of the YMCA for your child to participate this Fall. Please see the flyer below for more information or contact our Youth Sports Director, Mr. Antonio Mathis (amathis@ymcacolumbusga.com)
Photos from YMCA of Columbus, Georgia's post
You still have time to sign up for Taekwondo 🥋 at the D.A. Turner branch. Enrolling 5 years of age and up. Call the branch for more information! 706.563.7001 #youthdevelopment #healthyliving
🔨COMING SOON🔨 Construction begins soon on a brand-new, functional fitness space at our John P. Thayer location! Our lower Raquetball court will soon be converted into a new space for members to participate in functional, small-group training settings! We are excited to bring this to our members, but we need your HELP! We're looking for ideas to name the space... We've discussed names such as 'The Gauntlet', 'The Pit', 'The SweatBox', 'The FIT Zone'... but we want to hear from YOU, our members! Drop your name suggestions below 👇
📣LUNCH & LEARN📣 Are you an avid runner? Training for your first race? Just looking to get started running? JOIN US this Thursday, August 15th from 12:30pm - 1:30pm for our monthly 'Lunch & Learn' speaker! Dr. Rachel Selman will be sharing her expertise & providing us all with a 'Guide to Healthy Running!" Grab your lunch, come down to the John P. Thayer branch & join us. This event is FREE & open to members & non-members. Questions? Please contact our Wellness Coordinator, Andie Blanchard (ablanchard@ymcacolumbusga.com). We'll see you on Thursday!
Parents Night Out #YouthDevelopment We know the regular routine of back to school challenges and want to offer a break in the action for you to take a time-off! Friday, August 16th (6:00pm - 10:00pm) Our childcare staff will have a night of fun planned while you get time to yourselves! To register: https://operations.daxko.com/programs/redirector.aspx?cid=3118&pid=86403&sid=2410850 For more information: Childcare@ymcacolumbusga.com (706) 322-8269
We’re more than a gym; we’re for building safer communities. Thanks to Sgt. Heeger with the PCPD for providing our #activeshootertraining #day2 #opentothepublic
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