DEFIANCE AREA YMCA
1965 - 2009
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The Defiance Area YMCA has become a northwestern Ohio treasure in its relatively short 44-year history.
The Institution’s wonderful heritage can be traced back to Rev. Norman Lucas, who in 1965 formed an organizing committee for a YMCA in Defiance. A year later, a foundation campaign led by Gene Smart raised $13,000.
Ray Snyder, a former Ohio State University basketball captain, was hired as the organization’s first professional director in 1967. Snyder started several new programs and planted the seeds for the construction of a YMCA building.
In 1973, a generous $25,000 contribution from Johns Manville Corporation provided the fledgling organization with funds to purchase four acres adjacent to the new Defiance High School, which opened in 1970. This purchase turned out to be a very wise move.
Toledo native Bryce Harbaugh was hired as the new director in 1977 and teamed up with his wife, Judy, to aggressively add new programs and reach out to more members of the community.
The Defiance Area YMCA received its largest gift to date
in 1979 from Ora and Helen Symonds, who bequeathed $142,000. This sum was used as seed money for a building fund.
In 1981, the organization moved from the Daoust Drugs building to a house at 656 Clinton Street. A year later, six more acres next to the original land purchase were acquired.
Under the leadership of Defiance businessman Bill Diehl, a capital campaign for a new building exceeded its goal of
$1,350,000.
Glenn Kuhn, a native of Evansville, Indiana succeeded Harbaugh in 1985 and later that year a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new facility. The beautiful new building opened at 1599 Palmer Drive in September 1986.
The organization continued to grow. A $325,000 Motion Center was added in 1989, followed by a $2.1 million Aquatic Center in 1992. A partnership with Defiance College opened the DC/YMCA Smart Fitness Center located at the Northtowne East Shopping Mall in February of 2004.
A $2.4 million project opened in the fall of 2005 includes four gymnasiums, youth center, and an outdoor skate park. Two of the new gymnasiums are part of a partnership with The Defiance City Schools to provide gymnasium space for Defiance High School.
Membership now exceeds 5,100 members, but the real strength of the Defiance Area YMCA continues to be its ability to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy body, mind and spirit for all.