CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cheyenne YMCA announced Aug. 16 that it was indefinitely closing its aquatics facility due to lack of funding for renovations and maintenance. The center then fully closed Aug. 24. However, this closure was only brief.
The Maury & Bonnie Brown Foundation has made a donation to the Cheyenne YMCA in an effort to save the shuttered aquatics center, expand and renovate the Y’s childcare spaces and rally support for the longtime Cheyenne nonprofit.
Maury & Bonnie Brown have supported the Cheyenne YMCA for more than 40 years as part of their philanthropic endeavors. The Brown family and the Maury & Bonnie Brown Foundation have decided to continue the tradition of supporting the Cheyenne YMCA by making the necessary repairs to get the pool reopened at the Cheyenne YMCA as soon as possible.
Along with this donation, the Brown family and the foundation see the need to expand the childcare and after-school programs at the YMCA. In accordance with this need, the family and the foundation have also decided to team up with YMCA on additional renovation projects related to childcare and after-school programs. This combined goal is to make Cheyenne’s YMCA the best in the region. Over the next year there will be noticeable changes to the facilities and programs for the betterment of the community.
The leadership of the YMCA expressed immense gratitude for the donation and for the support of Brown’s family.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity and vision of the Maury and Bonnie Brown Foundation,” said Chris Coker, president and CEO of the YMCA of Northern Colorado & Southern Wyoming, the umbrella organization of the Cheyenne Y. “This family truly loves the Cheyenne community, and they understand the importance of the Y for the residents here. We are so appreciative that we have champions in Cheyenne like the Brown family.”
Both the Y and the foundation say there is more work to be done to keep the Y sustainable long into the future. They will continue with a capital campaign to modernize and improve the facility, allowing the nonprofit to stay relevant and attractive to residents.
“We want to improve the Y for generations to come,” Coker said. “When the Y thrives, the community thrives. We need the people of Cheyenne to join us as members, sign up for our sports programs, camps and swim lessons and donate to ensure we are here when our neighbors need us most.”
Construction has already started on the aquatics center at the Cheyenne Y. The pool is expected to reopen in late October, and swim lessons will start in early November. A timeline for the childcare center expansion will be announced soon.
The Y is accepting applications for lifeguards and swim instructors as well.
