HR0648 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0648 LRB103 39748 LAW 70244 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the YMCA of Springfield (Springfield Y) on the occasion of its 150th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, On March 25, 1874, the Springfield Y was formed in the basement of First Presbyterian Church by a group of individuals who saw a need to provide young men with reading rooms and meeting spaces as an alternative to saloons; by 1885, the organization had constructed its first building, which housed meeting spaces, education, exercise spaces, and a dormitory for young men needing shelter; and

WHEREAS, Before redirecting its focus on sports and fitness, the Springfield Y stood at the forefront of addressing the City of Springfield's joblessness through creating and offering job training and work competency programs for young men; and

WHEREAS, In the late 1800s, the Springfield Y expanded into young men's sports by organizing baseball teams in the area; the organization proceeded to offer basketball in 1891, bringing basketball leagues to the area by 1908; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y constructed a new building at 7th and Capital in 1908, and this property housed some of the first structured fitness programs in Springfield, its competitive sports programs, including basketball and baseball, and one of the area's first indoor swimming pools, which allowed the organization to begin offering swim lessons; and

WHEREAS, In the 1930s and 1940s, the Springfield Y created a teen night club, which it hosted in the basement as a fun, safe space for youth to gather and dance; and

WHEREAS, Due to the Great Depression and World War II, the Springfield Y postponed constructing a new YMCA facility until 1962, when it opened a new building at 4th and Cook; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y helped bring youth soccer to Springfield in 1967; the organization's soccer program became nationally known by 1974, was one of the first coed youth sports programs in the area, and is regarded as the genesis of every youth, high school, and college soccer program in central Illinois today; and

WHEREAS, In the early 1970s, the Springfield Y established before and after school care for low-income families; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y permitted women to become full members in 1974, two years before the YMCA of the USA adopted its policy and four years before it banned gender discrimination nationwide; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y created a Women's Health Center at its 4th and Cook location in 1980; that same year, the organization also adopted a single parent discounted family rate; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y opened a new day camp lodge, YMCA Camp Wa-Kon-Tah, on Lake Springfield in 1988 to serve more children attending its summer camp programs; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y celebrated its 125th anniversary in 1999; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y opened its new $18 million Kerasotes facility, which offered state-of-the-art fitness facilities, pools, and child care facilities, to better serve the community in 2011; and

WHEREAS, To replace its aging downtown structure, the Springfield Y opened a new $33 million downtown facility at 4th and Carpenter in 2020; and

WHEREAS, After 56 years, the Springfield Y opened its own soccer fields to provide more opportunities for local youth at its Kerasotes facility in 2023; and

WHEREAS, That same year, the Springfield Y distributed 4,000 food boxes and helped provide relief to local victims of the historic storms that struck from June 29 to June 30; the organization also provided over 1,400 at-risk and underserved kids with several programs and activities, including summer camps, sports, and after school spaces through its Strong Kids Fund; and

WHEREAS, The Springfield Y will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a celebration at the location of the organization's first meeting, First Presbyterian Church, on March 25, 2024; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the YMCA of Springfield (Springfield Y) on its 150th anniversary, thank the organization for its dedication to serving the City of Springfield, and wish its staff and volunteers continued success in the years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Springfield Y as an expression of our esteem and respect.