For as long as I can remember, Polk County has wanted its own YMCA. There’s one in Hendersonville, and Asheville, Greenville, and Spartanburg all have at least one branch. There’s even Ys in Black Mountain and Marion. The Spartanburg Y runs some programs here, and Camp Skyuka dates back to the 1950s. But what people really want is an indoor pool. Of the 3,000-odd people who filled out a survey last year, 84 per cent wanted a place to swim year-round.
But indoor pools are expensive. And until recently, the cost seemed to be out of reach for a county as small as ours. Then, two years ago, something that looked suspiciously like an plea from a Nigerian prince landed in the inbox of Spartanburg Y CEO Rick Callebs. That email turned out be an offer to make a $2 million donation. And now, assuming everything comes together as planned, it’s going to be built at the intersection of Highway 74 and Highway 108.
Rick has been part of the Y movement for more than 40 years, and he’s run Ys both large and small. We met at the Womack building in Columbus at the end of March to talk about what it’s going to take to make sure Polk County doesn’t miss out on the best chance to see the project come to fruition.
Further reading
Details of the proposed Polk County YMCA
Mackenzie Scott’s donations to YMCAs⁠
The Polk County Y survey results 
A little history

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