(Spirit Lake)-- The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant negative financial impact on the YMCA of the Okoboji's, which announced today (Fri.) it will be permanently closing its Healthy Living Program Center in downtown Spirit Lake. CEO Andrew Fisher says the financial impacts on the organization are beginning to cascade...SLHLPC Closing01

"All of this through the pandemic has really forced us to shrink down our organization to withstand all of the challenges of this. The majority of our revenue streams have been cut off through this, even the programs that we were able to offer such as our child care programs at the school districts right now helping out the community, the limitations of it, have hurt us so bad financially that we have to start to look at restructuring our debt as an organization. We have to lose some things. We had to restructure some staffing, and so it's been very challenging through this process and I really appreciate the volunteer board that's been helping with this and we look forward to continuing to serve the community. We just know it has to be different."

Fisher adds the downtown Spirit Lake location has been closed since the pandemic started. He says the Milford location is not affected by today's (Fri.) announcement...SLHLPC Closing02

"Our membership structure allows all of our members to utilize all of our facilities and that means the Bedell Family YMCA and the Milford HLPC. So all members still have full access to all of those facilities. We are going to be restructuring the Bedell facility and adding an expansive weight room to what we call our family gym, and restructuring the building to accommodate more health and wellness needs which that's what the Spirit Lake Health Living Program Center helped us do. We'll begin on that starting next week and that will be transitioning through. In terms of the building, we are going through the process of exploring a couple of different opportunities of selling the facility. We will be looking to do that down the road and we'll have more details on that to come."

He says the Jiu Jitsu Okoboji program, which conducted self-defense training classes at the Spirit Lake HLPC site, will be relocated to the Bedell Family YMCA once restrictions related to COVID-19 are lifted.

Fisher says the YMCA will proceed with projects currently underway at the Bedell Family YMCA and Camp Foster to increase capacities and improve member and camper experiences.

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YMCA Of The Okoboji's Announces Permanent Closure Of Its Healthy Living Program Center In Downtown Spirit Lake - exploreokoboji.com