$1 Million Donated to YMCA Expansion Project

(From left) Glenn and Barb Timmerman. Submitted.

The Door County YMCA paused its plans to expand and renovate its Sturgeon Bay facility when COVID hit. 

“It had us rethink, take a step back, give us that pause we probably needed,” said Heidi Erickson, Door County YMCA CEO. “Where we’re at now is probably the best plan we could have. It will better serve the community for generations to come, not just for the next few years.”

The Sturgeon Bay facility was constructed in 1997 and the aquatic center added in 2001.

“And that’s really all that’s been done outside regular maintenance,” Erickson said.

The plan now is to expand the center by about 8,700 square feet and renovate the existing space to better serve the community, and the Door County YMCA’s existing 7,200 members (another facility is located in Fish Creek). 

About $7 million is needed to fund the project. 

“We’re getting through the major donor phase,” Erickson said, with the public fundraising campaign expected to kick-off this fall. 

One recent major donor has given the project a boost. The Glenn and Barb Timmerman family has donated $1 million to establish a new wellness center as part of the expansion project. 

Glenn and Barb Timmerman are seasonal residents of Door County. They and their son Nate, who lives in New York and spent summers in Door County, believe in the future of the Door County YMCA. Glenn served on its board in a governance role and actively participated in developing its strategic plan, which laid out the vision and road map for how the YMCA can continue to serve the community.

“We wanted to engage with an organization that greatly impacts the community,” Barb said, “and we feel that the Y truly serves people regardless of age, ability and economic background.”

A renovation and expansion will allow the YMCA to provide a welcoming, supportive environment where all residents can come together; increase accessibility for older adults and those with mobility challenges; create more gathering spaces for education, meetings and community connections; deepen partnerships with other organizations; and ensure that the organization is meeting the community’s needs.

“Our interest in the Door County Y has turned from personal engagement to personal giving,” Glenn said. “We wanted to make a difference in a community that we love. We believe the renovations to the Sturgeon Bay Y are long overdue and will position the Y to thrive for years to come!”