The Wellman Parkside Activities Center is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with an open house Thursday, Jan. 23 from 6-8 p.m.
The Wellman Parkside Activities Center facility is owned by the city of Wellman. It opened its doors to the community on Jan. 18, 2010.
The center includes a banquet hall that is operated by the city of Wellman, Sunrise Child Care, JET Physical Therapy and the Wellman Parkside YMCA.
“The idea of a rec center for the community started back in the mid 1980s with fundraising that began shortly after that,” Wellman Mayor Ryan Miller said. “The original goal was to have a gym and work out facility. In the 1990s a plan with funding fell through, and organizers started to look at other plans which included adding additional areas to meet the needs of the town.”
At the time, the only non-profit daycare in town fell victim to a building fire and needed a new home. This led to incorporating a childcare portion into the facility.
The city had no place for large gatherings or for wedding receptions, so the banquet hall was added to the plan.
The Washington YMCA was brought on board to operate the recreational portion of the facility, thus enabling members to utilize both the Wellman and Washington YMCA locations.
It also took the responsibility of the day to day operations off the city’s already full plate.
Mid-Prairie School District came on board to rent gym space.
As the facility was being built, an empty portion was filled by JET Physical Therapy, which allowed citizens access to physical therapy in town.
The overall goal of the facility has always been to provide Wellman with amenities at one location so that people did not have to travel outside of town for them.
Each of the entities that occupy space in the facility work together to provide services for the community.
The first 10 years have brought the community together and proven that we are stronger together.
“The Wellman Parkside YMCA was a new addition to the Y family 10 years ago,” said Amy Schulte, YMCA of Washington County executive director. “We are proud of the accomplishments and the relationships that we have formed in the community.
“The Y has served the children, adults and families in Wellman and surrounding communities. It is a place for people from all walks of life to come together to gather and improve their quality of life. Today is about uniting our community and inviting everyone to join us in celebrating this milestone. The facility and the partnerships it generates have offered people more opportunities on their journey for a healthier life and have given children the best start. I am inspired by and grateful for the generous support we have received throughout the past decade and look forward to the continued partnership offering life enhancing programs for the community.”
