The North Central Florida YMCA needs to raise about $350,000 in the next seven days to keep its doors open.
The chapter, located at 5201 NW 34th Blvd., has about $837,000 in pledges as of press time, but will close for good Jan. 31 if it doesn’t have the $1.2 million needed to stay open, said John Bonacci, the CEO of North Central Florida’s YMCA.
“I have followed up with five or six large potential donors who are considering supporting us,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll have something back in the next couple of days.”
About $11,000 in donations were made at a fundraiser Saturday, where community members sold food and held an auction, car wash, yoga classes and a Zumba marathon, said Leslie Galloway, a longtime member of the YMCA.
“I do feel very hopeful that we’ll keep the Y open,” she said.
If the YMCA can’t raise the money needed to stay open, it’s possible that Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs will purchase the facilities, said Steve Phillips, the department’s director.
Phillips said the department is interested in buying a recreational facility in Northwest Gainesville.
“Long story short, we weren’t actively pursuing acquisition or not pursuing it, because at this point we really don’t know what projects we’ll be able to do,” he said.
In December, an anonymous donor pledged $600,000 to help save the organization, which has more than 5,000 members, 82 part-time staff and seven full-time employees, according to Alligator archives.
After hearing the YMCA was in trouble, Galloway, 28, began the “NCF YMCA Advocates” Facebook group, which has more than 200 members, to spread awareness about the chapter’s financial struggle.
Bonacci said the effort over the last month from the community is proof the building serves a special purpose.
Although members of Gainesville’s YMCA have shown an outpouring of support and devotion during the financial hardship, he said the fate of the facility now lies in the hands of potential donors.
“They’re putting their money where their heart is, even though they don’t have a lot to give in most cases,” Bonacci said of the YMCA members. “We really need a pillar of this community to ensure the future of the Y in Gainesville.”
@molly_vossler
mvossler@alligator.org
