Open house at the ‘Y’ scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 14
The Don M. And Margaret Hilliker YMCA, 300 Sloan Blvd., will be celebrating its 25th anniversary Sunday, Sept. 14, with myriad activities for the entire family planned for the day.
In honor of its quarter-century of existence, the Hilliker YMCA will be hosting an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition to opening the gym, walking track, weight room and swimming pool to all comers during these hours, there will also be a bouncy house, sand volleyball, food trucks, vendors and family activities available during the celebration.
Jeff Radde, executive director of the Hilliker YMCA, said that three former Ohio State University athletes will also be on hand Sunday, with swimmer Amy Fulmer conducting a swim stroke clinic, while Buckeye hoopsters Harrison Hoofkin and Musa Jallow will lead a basketball clinic, both which are open to the public free of charge.
But while the Hilliker YMCA has been serving Logan County for 25 years, the “Y”, as it is now commonly known throughout the world, has been a part of Bellefontaine’s history for well over 100 years.
The original Young Men’s Christian Association was established in London, England in 1844 as the Industrial Revolution was bringing thousands of workers to cities from rural areas across the Britain to fill the positions in the factories that were springing up all over the country. The YMCA offered lodging, dining halls and leisure activities for men who often worked 12 hours a day, six days a week.
The YMCA proved to be such a success in London it soon spread to the other cities in England, indeed to other countries, and became exceptionally popular in the United States. Now commonly known all over the world simply as the “Y,” it has an international footprint with over 12,000 locations in 120 counties worldwide, with over 2,700 facilities in the United States alone.
The presence of the “Y” in Bellefontaine stretches back over a century before Hilliker “Y” opened for business in 2000. From late 19th century through the 1960s Bellefontaine was an important and bustling hub for the Big Four railroads with about 130 trains, both freight and passenger, coming through the city everyday, bringing with them a steady stream of railroad workers who needed a clean and safe place to spend their off hours before hopping back on the rails.
Out of this need for lodging, sustenance and leisure was born the first YMCA in Bellefontaine, which was built about 1901. But finding these accommodations too small to accommodate the approximately 8,000 railroaders who used Bellefontaine’s “Y” facilities each year, a large brick building was constructed in 1926 at the corner of west Columbus Avenue and north Elm Street. The building had 49 small bedrooms, which could be rented by the transient workers at an inexpensive rate, and also featured a restaurant and social hall.
The “Y” had a great run for about 40 years until 1960s, when railroads re-organized, closed the famous roundhouse and removed Bellefontaine as a major hub for their various railroad lines. As a result, hundreds of transient railroad workers were no longer coming into Bellefontaine on a regular basis and the “Y” on the northeast corner of Columbus and Elm eventually fell into disrepair and disuse.
The building was bought and sold on a couple of occasions after that and at least one attempt was made to to upgrade the building, but with new regulations regarding fire escapes, sprinkling systems, updated safety codes and the like, the old “Y” building was eventually deemed to expensive to renovate, finally closing its doors in the 1980s before being left unoccupied and razed in 2009, taking with it an important piece of the city’s history.
But the Hillikers refused to give up on the “Y” and were the major force in establishing the current Bellefontaine “Y” on Sloan Boulevard, being major contributors to the construction the modern facility in 2000, where it stands today and where it served over 75,000 visitors in 2024.
Radde encourages those who have never visited the Bellefontaine “Y” to stop out Sunday and check out its clean, modern facilities and the various programs it offers, noting that while the Hilliker “Y”, as a 501(C)3 organization does receive funding from its parent organization YMCA of Central Ohio, as well as support from United Way and other organizations, paid memberships are the what helps keep the doors open.
Single adult memberships cost about $1.16 per day, while two-parent families with children can expect to pay about $1.71 per day for use of the facilities. Seniors who are covered under Medicare may be eligible for free memberships.
And while the “Y” continues to adhere to putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body, persons of all faiths are welcome to join and use the facilities, volunteer or even work at the “Y”.
While the “Y” was originally founded on Christian principles, according to its website, “the YMCA has evolved along with changes in society over time. The world has become more pluralistic, secular, and connected, and the YMCA has reflected these changes in its approach to Christian identity and practice.
Today, the YMCA is a diverse and inclusive organization that welcomes people from all faiths and secular backgrounds, while still acknowledging and respecting its Christian roots.”
