Kishwaukee Family YMCA remains a community staple after six decades

KISHWAUKEE FAMILY YMCA64 years of partnership and family in Sycamore By: Kelley White

s a pillar of strength and a welcoming presence in countless communities, the YMCA organization continues to provide bountiful resources to their members for better mind and spirit. Celebrating its 64th anniversary this year, the Kishwaukee Family YMCA has a rich history in the Sycamore area. CEO Mark Spiegelhoff and former CEO Gary Chesnut, as well as Herman Kussro, the longest Kishwaukee Family YMCA employee, offer their unique perspectives on the history and future of the YMCA organization and what the Y means to the Sycamore community. “I arrived in April of 1970, before the new Y was completed, and I worked for a while at the storefront operation on Third Street in DeKalb,” Chesnut said. “During the summer months, I was the aquatic director at that time, and I did all the training for the staff.” Chesnut thought the location for the YMCA was an interesting choice, noting it caused some controversy and raised brows across the community. “It was interesting because the director and the community leaders felt that particular location was where the city was going to be heading, despite there not being anything out there yet. And wouldn’t you know it, that is exactly where the city headed.” By the time Chesnut left the Y, the main pool, tennis courts, racquetball courts and several programs were added to the facilities. Chesnut recalls a lack of programming in town prior to the YMCA, but when he moved on from CEO, there were popular leagues running at the Y and a strong community support for the establishment. Kussro began teaching at the Y in 1965. Currently, he teaches tai chi, karate, kung fu and women’s self-defense classes. “I have taught at the Y for 56 years,” Kussro said said. “I continue to teach at the Y to be part of something bigger than myself, part of an institution and people with the same values and goals so that together we can make a positive difference.” To Kussro, the Y has stayed consistent in its values despite natural change over the years, which is a steadiness he attributes

to his longevity at the facility. “There have been individual differences with leadership style, changes in society, and health fads that come and go,” Kussro said. “But the atmosphere for staff and members has been positive and focused on offering members opportunities for self-improvement.” Kussro credits much of the Y’s success in early years to director Ross Young. “Ross was a WWII vet. When he returned home, like many vets, he wanted to make a positive difference in his community. The Y was Ross’s way of making that difference. He added Family to the name (a new idea at that time), making the Y unique in purpose, offerings, and function.” Kussro believes that Young would be proud of what the YMCA has become today. Current CEO Mark Spiegelhoff is incredibly gratified to be adding to Kishwaukee Family YMCA’s legacy and continuing its work in the community. “This is my seventh year as a CEO of this YMCA, and I have been a YMCA CEO for 25 years as well as a professional in the YMCA movement for 37 years. I’ve watched the YMCA evolve from an emphasis primarily on health and fitness to serving a lot of other community needs, including childcare components with the emergence of Latchkey Kids and Two Working Parents.” The Y has a strong influence on a community’s youth demographic, and Spiegelhoff praises the steps taken toward more diverse and inclusive programming. “I’ve watched the YMCA become the fabric of most communities over the years. The YMCA is a dynamic organization that has a profound impact on its community, wherever it’s located. The YMCA focuses on how we develop our youth in our communities and the strive to create better health and wellness opportunities for our community members moves us toward that development.” Spiegelhoff underscores the significance of the YMCA organization’s positive evolutions over several decades. “There’s been a general perception that we’re just a gym and swim, but that is so not the case,” he said. “We certainly do that – but we’re not just focused on healthy living. The youth development and the social responsibility component are equally important at the YMCA. We’re a reflection of the community.” The YMCA is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, a fact that may come as a surprise to some. As a nonprofit, the YMCA works to meet community needs, including those without the means for paper services. “Just about 50% of the kids we serve come from low-income families,” Spiegelhoff said. “At the YMCA, they can be in a wholesome environment with plenty of stimulation and activities. That is one of the core areas this particular YMCA steps forward to meet the community need.” A prevalent service that is unique to the Kishwaukee Family YMCA involves helping those with chronic diseases during their recovery period as a haven for camaraderie and wellness. “We offer a LIVESTRONG at the YMCA

aplace for everyone

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Monday -Thursday 9:00 a.m. -9:00 p.m.

Friday &Saturday 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.

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1:00 1:00 -5:00-5:00 p.m. program,” Spiegelhoff said. “It’s a free program for anyone who chooses to participate. Our goal is to help the individuals who are on their recovery in terms of reclaiming their health and we’ve had about 150 people who’ve graduated from the program since we started it back in 2012.” One YMCA member who participated in the program talks about the positive impact it has had on them after their ordeal: “When I first learned about the LIVESTRONG program at my Y, I felt a sense of hope. The feeling of regaining control physically after feeling hopeless for quite some time is what I gained from this program. Knowing you’re not alone is an amazing comfort.” Spiegelhoff notes that DeKalb has twice the national rate for Parkinson’s Disease patients, a fact the Y has recognized and sought to address with incredible results. “In 2017 we launched the Pedaling for Parkinson’s program. We adopted this program that was originally developed at the Cleveland Clinic where they discovered if Parkinson’s patients sustained exercise of pedaling a bike at over 80 revolutions per minute, that they could successfully stabilize the disease’s progression.” At the Kishwaukee YMCA, the participating group of Parkinson’s patients have become a family and continue to show amazing improvements in mitigating their symptoms. Community, empathy, and care make the YMCA thrive year after year, affording health and wellness programs for everyone and creating family ties that bind forever. The future of the Kishwaukee Family YMCA is brighter than ever, even after the pandemic, and Spiegelhoff is encouraged in the recovery of the YMCA and its programs. An unbreakable sense of companionship and family is what keeps the facility flourishing, despite the world’s hardships.

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