GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

The Morris Community YMCA announced today the donation of a 12-acre parcel of land from the families who own and operate “D” Construction, Inc. Located just west of White Oak Elementary School on DuPont Avenue, the site will be the future home of Grundy County’s first full-facility YMCA.

Surrounded by property that is planned for residential development, the donated land is located adjacent to the existing baseball and softball fields and park land owned by the City of Morris. Its close proximity to the school and area residential neighborhoods makes the site an ideal location for a future YMCA facility.

“Like so many Grundy County residents, we are anxious to see a full-facility YMCA in our community,” said a spokesperson for the donor families. “We are very proud to donate this land knowing what a wonderful asset the YMCA will be for our community for generations to come.”

A mainstay in the Morris community for the last decade, the Morris Community YMCA has been working collaboratively with Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers to enhance the health and wellness of Grundy County residents since opening its temporary facility in January 2015 in downtown Morris. Together, the Y and the Hospital have provided Grundy County residents with access to unparalleled health and wellness programs and a wide variety of programming in the newly renovated facility.

Under the leadership of its volunteer advisory council, the YMCA has begun to widen its footprint in Grundy County by introducing the types of programs and services that a full-facility YMCA would offer to the community in the future.

“We are very grateful to the residents and business owners in Grundy County for welcoming the YMCA into the fabric of the community with open arms,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO James Watts. “This generous land donation, paired with the enthusiasm and dedication shown by our volunteers, donors and community partners, brings us one step closer to making a full-facility YMCA in Grundy County a reality,” added Watts.

The YMCA’s first physical footprint in Grundy County was made possible through a generous land donation in 2010 from Ron Evenson and Mark Jorstad. This 15-acre parcel of land is located west of Morris on U.S. Route 6. Speaking on behalf of his family and Mark Jorstad, it is evident that Evenson’s enthusiasm for the project hasn’t wavered.

“We are happy that our land donation was instrumental in introducing the YMCA and its impactful programs and services to the Morris and Grundy County communities,” said Ron Evenson. “We applaud this generous donation and agree that building a YMCA adjacent to one of our elementary schools and near the center of our community will serve as an ideal location for this future community treasure,” added Evenson.

As one of the nation’s leading nonprofit charities, the YMCA is committed to strengthening local communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. A branch of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, the Morris Community YMCA brings families closer together, encourages good health, and fosters connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. Through its financial assistance and scholarship program, the YMCA works to fulfill its mission of ensuring that its programs are available to everyone and no one is turned away due to the inability to pay.