JOHN: Today on Vertio Talk Radio local business spotlight we have the CEO of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Tom Van Deinse and the Director of Development and Marketing Dave Eitland joining us. Welcome to the program gentlemen.
DAVE EITLAND: Thank you very much.
TOM VAN DEINSE: Yes. Thank you. It’s great to be here.
JOHN: Well, Tom let’s start with you. Tell our listening audience what exactly is the YMCA? Because, I grew up in the seventies; I think it’s a little different from what it was back then. Tell us a little bit about the YMCA.
TOM: Actually a little different from it’s inception, too. The YMCA actually started more than 150 years ago as a kind of bible study group way to get wayward teens together and keep them off the streets and show them good ways. And we still do that sort of thing today. We just do it in a different way. I think looking back to the early years, too, you may remember a lot of YMCA’s were actually hotels. They were built by railroad stations and a lot of people would stay there. But, nowadays it’s more of fitness and other programs that the YMCA’s offer.
JOHN: Now I’ve seen an ad recently on television kind of pushing, or maybe it was radio I’m not real sure, but kind of pushing the idea that there are a lot of working parents out there and the YMCA’s a good place for your kids to go after school. Right?
TOM: Well, you know what. That’s true, but the YMCA’s a good place for everybody. It really is. We’ve got 65 different programs we offer at our YMCA. We have 3,000 members and, get this, we have 11,000 program users currently at the Y, because we do offer so many things. We’ve got, for instance, our aquatics program. We have these Mom and Tots programs teaching kids to learn how to swim at a very young age. Or, our gymnastics program we start kids at age 1 1/2. And then we have programs for everybody, from teens all the way through adults. You should see our tennis program out here. We have 80 year olds playing tennis on our tennis courts. So we really do pride ourselves on the fact that we have something for everybody at the Y.
JOHN: K. What about the staff that’s taking care of the place and instructing? What kind of experience do they have?
TOM: We have a lot of experience at our YMCA. And I think at the YMCA nationally you’ll find that as well. And one of the reasons for that is because we are one of about 2,700 YMCAs across the country. We are kind of like a YMCA franchise. That gives us access to services and best practices from the YMCA of the USA, which is located in Chicago.
JOHN: Now I know you guys have a soccer program, because I’ve been heavily involved in it over the last few years with my son. It’s nice to have a place where children and parents can come together and do programs like that. Is that something you guys promote?
TOM: Yeah, you bet. And it’s not just coming together. What we really try to do with YMCA programs, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastic, tennis, basketball. As I said there are 65 different programs, so the list goes on and on. But, we try to follow certain philosophies and principles in those programs as well. For instance, everybody plays everybody wins. We really try to have all the kids be able to participate in all the programs. We also want to have levels of ability for everybody. Gymnastics is a great example of that. We actually, last year, took third place at level five in the state of Michigan for our gymnastics team. So, we obviously had a high level competition team and yet we also have 600 kids come every week for our recreational gymnastics. Many of whom will never go on to do any kind of competitive gymnastics, but it builds them in spirit mind and body. And that’s another big thing that we feature at the YMCA and pride ourselves in, is that we try not just build the kids in one particular sport or have skills for basketball or tennis or something else, but really build the kid as a total individual. And that’s why I think that our character is such a big thing in what we try to build in kids. We really pride ourselves on our focusing on our values of honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility. Besides, again, just the sports training, which we are really well known for.
JOHN: Now, can people find you on the web?
TOM: Oh, they sure can. Dave do you want to take this one?
DAVE EITLAND: Well, yes. That information is at www.gtbayymca.org. And that gives you kind of a very wide spectrum of all our offerings. The thing about the website also, it gives you kind of articles that have been posted in other media. It also shows just some of the current deadlines and registration program offerings that we have.
TOM: So, why would anybody turn to anything but VTalkRadio for all of their media needs?
JOHN: Well, we wonder about that ourselves at times. We certainly appreciate that plug gentlemen. I certainly enjoy the YMCA and have enjoyed being a part of the program over there. And appreciate you guys very much. We’re in the studio today with the CEO of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Tom Van Deinse and the Director of Development and Marketing Dave Eitland. And you’re listening to the Vertio Talk Radio local business spotlight. We’re going to step aside for these important messages, but we’ll be right back. More with these gentlemen, hold on.
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JOHN: Welcome back to the Vertio Talk Radio local business spotlight. We are in the studio with Dave Eitland. He is the Director of Development and Marketing Grand Traverse Bay YMCA. And the CEO Tom Van Deinse. Boy that’s tricky to say that last name Tom. But, I think I’ve gotten it right both times here. Welcome back to the program gentlemen.
TOM: Thank you.
DAVE: Thank you.
JOHN: Now we’ve been talking about the Traverse City YMCA. I wanted to talk a little bit about the volunteers and the staff that you got going on over there. Can you elaborate a little bit about that?
TOM: Yeah, we have ten fulltime staff right now and that’s because we are such a program heavy YMCA. We do have so many things to offer and we want to make sure we hire the staff that has the expertise in each of those areas. For instance, we just opened a daycare center. So, we have a fulltime director for that daycare. We also have a dedicated gymnastics facility. We are one of only three Y’s that has a dedicated facility for gymnastics. So, we have specialized staff for that, and adult sports, and youth sports, and aquatics programming, etc. But, besides the trained staff we also have, last year, 594 volunteers give their time. In fact, 44,728 hours of volunteer time to the YMCA. That is just an incredible donation that the community gives back to our YMCA for the Y kids and the kids throughout the community.
JOHN: Now I know you guys have a new facility that is going to be opening soon. Before we talk about that, how long have you guys been at the location right now on South Airport Road?
TOM: We’ve been here since the early eighties. And at 3000 Racquet Club Drive across from Logan’s Landing. It’s a beautiful spot. It’s forty wooded acres here. It’s great for our summer camps, but it’s just inadequate for what we’ve got planned for the future. You know, especially with the growth we’ve seen in the last few years with our lacrosse program, and Pop Warner football program, and softball programs. We just have more going on here right now. Our tennis program is another one. We’re just bursting at the seams at our current facility and really we are in heavy need of a new YMCA.
DAVE: Well, and I think just to kind of jump off on that, too. A lot of people don’t realize at our 3000 Racquet Club Drive location we have over 270,000 people that come through our doors every year. And the traffic is just amazing. That figure does not include all the traffic that goes through the gymnastics program, doesn’t include the softball leagues, or any of the Pop Warner football. It’s an incredible number of people that our using our programs.
JOHN: Certainly is. Now, where is the new facility going to be located, gentlemen?
TOM: It’s on Silver Lake Road just south of West Junior High behind Great Wolf Lodge and the Horizon outlet mall. It’s out where the buffalo farm used to be, Oleson’s Buffalo Farm.
JOHN: Ok. Now how big is this facility? Especially, compared to the one you’re in right now.
TOM: The new facility is going to be about three times the size of our current facility. In fact, by the time all is said and done it’s going to be 180,000 square feet. So, it’s going to be a very large complex. It’ll feature everything we have right now. The tennis courts, instead of the three courts we’re going to have six at the new site. And basketball and those will be two wood floored gymnasiums with an overhead running track. And pools is a big difference. We’re going to have two pools. First, a competitive swimming pool for the swim teams in town. And then secondly, a recreational and learn-to-swim pool, as well. So, it’s going to be a large complex. We also have a daycare center that’s going to be a portion of that and a big open field house where we’ll host all kinds of different events from our indoor soccer leagues, and indoor lacrosse, and our teen dances, and just about anything you can think of that needs a big open space to take place in will happen in our field house.
JOHN: Wow, sounds like a…
DAVE: Probably not only going to be the buildings, too. But, we’re going to be building, at a minimum, two outdoor multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse, and whatever else might be able to use those fields. Plus, we will have some outdoor tennis courts and some designated outdoor pickle ball courts.
TOM: Oh, and Dave tell them when that’s all going to start.
DAVE: Well, that’s all going to start when I can raise the money.
TOM: But, the outdoor stuff is actually going to be started this spring.
DAVE: That is correct.
TOM: We’re starting the site construction on the new Y this spring. And it is because we are in such dire need of outdoor fields especially. So, by this fall we’re hoping those will be up and running and we’ll be able to run some programs out there right now.
JOHN: Ok, now when is the projected finish of the building itself?
TOM: I think Dave just answered that question.
DAVE: Well, and basically we’re going to be building this facility in phases. We’re looking to raise about $12 million to help build the essential phase. We’re looking for just under another $6 million in donations for that. And that is built and developed. We’re also going to be seeking donations for the competitive pool, the field house, and the racquet center. So, once we raise all those funds the campus will be built out.
JOHN: Now, Dave where can people find more information and donate to this wonderful cause?
DAVE: Well not only at our website, but we’re also partnering with the Community Foundation and they have an online giving site for us at www.4good4ever.org.
JOHN: Great.
DAVE: So people can give there too.
JOHN: Great. Now before we let you go, why don’t you give the regular Grand Traverse Bay YMCA website address as well? And maybe telephone number?
DAVE: That website is www.gtbayymca.org. And we can be reached here at 933-9622.
TOM: That’s 933-YMCA.
JOHN: Wonderful. Anybody out there listening I’ve certainly enjoyed being a part of the YMCA program. They’ve got a great facility there and they’re going to have even a greater one coming up real soon. So, if you haven’t been, if you haven’t checked it out I suggest you go down there and see what they have to offer to the community. I want to thank you two gentlemen, Dave Eitland and Tom Van Deinse.
TOM: And, thank you for help with our soccer program. We really appreciate it.
JOHN: Well, I’ll tell you what it’s such a pleasure to be involved and teach the kids. You can’t put a price on the reward of teaching these kids how to play and to be a good role model. And that’s something I cherish tremendously and that’s why I continue to do it.
TOM: Really glad to hear that, thank you.
JOHN: Gentlemen thank you for joining us today on the local business spotlight here on Vertio Talk Radio. You’ve been listening to the Vertio Talk Radio local business spotlight, I’m your host John Bentley. Do tune in again. Have a great afternoon.
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