Wednesday, November 21, 2007

We are well on our way





We are well on our way to matching our campaign goal. Read more about it on our Campaign page and learn how you can be a part of this great project!
There are multiple giving levels and everyone that donates will receive recognition.
Help us meet our goal of providing fitness and activities center for the whole community.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Glen Hummer: A Brief Biography




Jerry Shriner Goar has been so kind as to compile a preliminary biography of Butch for the proposed Memory Book. The first draft is reproduced below this note from Jerry. Does anyone have anything to add? Please help! Thanks so much, as always. She writes:

Here is what I have put together from what info I have on Butch. I have left some things out, not because I didn't think they were important or interesting, but because I simply didn't have enough info. I spent a couple of afternoons at the
library this week, but didn't find answers to some of my questions: I have conflicting information on when Glen was in the Navy. One article says 'during WWII'-but another indicates he went into the Navy after high school. One article stated he was 'chief petty officer in sports' but there is no such rank. I don't have dates for U of I or W U (I think he took a leave of absence to go to Columbia in 1936-37)-and listings of what his degrees were actually in are different. You may want more personal vignettes in the article, but I only knew Glen for a couple of years. Practically everyone who ever swam for him has more 'stories' than I. I listened to the DVD of the banquet and took notes-but didn't know which, if any tales to include. Glen visited Lowell and me when he was in California a couple of times. I do know he was amazed at the size and flavor of the strawberries grown out there! Chuckle!I don't know anything about his heart problems-or his surgery.I also could find no info on Glen's personal swimming history, which I did think would be an addition.

Glen Hummer: A Brief Biography
by Jerry Shriner Goar


In 1933 and extraordinary man, Glen Hummer, became the Huntington YMCA swim coach and the town, its residents and his swimmers spent the next forty years experiencing nothing short of a miracle—in fact, a myriad of miracles!

Glen Hummer was born in 1905, in Roanoke, Indiana to Rafe and Fannie (Harris) Hummer. He and his ten siblings grew up in Roanoke and attended Huntington County schools. Glen graduated from Huntington High School before serving three years in the U. S. Navy. He then attended the University of Illinois where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Zoological Science. He received a Master of Arts Degree from The Teachers College, Columbia University, with a major in Physical Education. He did further graduate study at the University of Washington.

Glen excelled at sports! In high school he played basketball and football and was on the track team. While in the Navy he was a rowing instructor. He was an All-American end for the University of Illinois. And he swam!

Huntington was nicknamed Lime City because of the many limestone quarries in the area. The abandoned ‘pits’ were spring-fed so the water that filled them was clear—and cold. Growing up, Glen’s first swimming holes were Idle Hour and Big Blue. The YMCA pool, where Glen coached his swimmers, had three lanes and was twenty-five yards long. During the summer months, the teams trained in Big Blue—and later, Lake Clare where lack of space was not a problem. Butch put in miles each practice walking the perimeter of Big Blue, watching and shouting instructions to his swimmers. When the workouts were moved to Lake Clare, there was room for a rowboat from which Glen could critique and encourage.

That Butch, as his swimmers affectionately called him, was passionate about swimming goes without saying, but the genius of his coaching lay in the devotion he had for his swimmers as well. Jerry Holtrey, one of Glen’s many swimmers who went on to become outstanding swim coaches said, “Talking about Glen Hummer, three words come to mind: discipline; commitment--to swimming and his swimmers; and preparation—he knew how to prepare his swimmers for every single meet. He was able to motivate them—and he did!” Glen was able to bring these qualities to his coaching because he had mastered them for himself. He possessed great self-discipline. He spent hours at a time in the “Y” pool, perfecting the swimming skills he taught to his swimmers. He was always there for every member of his team giving them encouragement and making them feel like special individuals. Glen paid attention to details and knew the competition, so his swimmers were well prepared for each contest.

Glen started his coaching career during the 1930’s when the country was in the throes of a depression. Finding the money to get his teams to meets was a real challenge, and there certainly was not enough to pay for places to sleep. In the beginning, vehicles had to be borrowed for transportation and Butch initiated his ‘creative sleeping arrangements’ program. The swimmers slept on mats in the beds of trucks; in sleeping bags under highway overpasses; in filling station parking lots; on gulf courses. Since meets were usually on weekends, miles had to be covered at night to insure that students and teacher (Glen also taught science at Huntington High School) were back for school on Monday mornings. Butch had his idiosyncrasies and falling asleep at the wheel was one every team member experienced. In every car load there was always at least one swimmer appointed to keep Butch awake.

The Huntington YMCA was only two years old in 1933 when Glen took up the reins as swim coach. The first YMCA National Championship was held in 1934, and from that time until he retired in 1977, Hummer’s teams entered thirty-three of the championship meets winning ten firsts, nine seconds, five thirds, one fifth, two sixths, and five other places. During the 1960’s the Huntington YMCA teams won the national title seven times and finished second, twice. Glen won the first National YMCA Coach of the Year Award in 1969.

As the Huntington YMCA teams racked up wins and honors, Glen’s reputation as an outstanding swim coach spread. In 1970 the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States honored Hummer by selecting him to coach the United States National Team for an extended tour. While on tour he conducted swimming clinics and exhibitions in Alaska, Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Hummer was nominated for the coaching staff of the U. S. Swim Team for the 1971 Pan American Games, and in 1972 he was again selected for the coaching staff of the U. S. Swim Team for the Olympic Games in Munich. In all, Glen attended four Olympiads: Rome, 1960; Tokyo, 1964; Mexico, 1968; and Munich in 1972. Two of Hummer’s swimmers went on to win Olympic medals. Gary Dilley earned a silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Games, and Matt Vogel won two gold medals in Montreal in 1976.

Swimmers came from all over Indiana—and even from out of state to receive Glen’s expert tutelage. If Glen heard of or saw a promising swimmer, he didn’t hesitate to recruit. Parents of these budding athletes spent many hours on the road getting their swimmers to practices. Glen also had a dedicated group of YMCA team parents who were always ready to find a way to get things done. Homes were opened for those who had to travel distances; transportation arranged; entries to swim meets made; records kept—and not just a few meals prepared. Butch’s swimmers worked hard and they were always hungry. Butch was a good cook, but he was also a bachelor and he never missed an opportunity to join a swim team family for a home cooked meal.

If Glen was insistent on style and form from his swimmers, he was nearly fanatic about endurance! He had his teams swim miles in Big Blue and Lake Clare. And for infractions, such as being late for practice or goofing off during same? More swimming! This emphasis on endurance paid off for “the father of long distance-swimming” with Huntington Y teams winning twelve national long-distance swimming championships, with thirty-five of his swimmers becoming National AAU All-Americans. Glen was elected AAU Long Distance Swimming Chairman for 1968 and 1969 and was re-appointed for 1975 and 1976. He rewrote and updated the AAU long distance rules which contributed to renewed interest in that phase of swimming. Glen was meet director for six National AAU Senior Long Distance Swimming Championships held in Huntington and for one in Grove Oklahoma. In 1978 the Glen S. Hummer Award was established and named in Glen’s honor. The award is presented annually by the Open Water Swimming Committee to the person or group making the greatest contribution to open water (long distance) swimming.

After retiring from teaching at Huntington High School, Glen took the post of associate professor of physical education and director of the aquatics program at Huntington College. At this time a Glen S. Hummer Fund was established to honor Glen for his contributions to the community and the sport of competitive swimming on the local, national and international levels. The endowment fund was to supplement the existing Huntington Athletic Scholarship Program by providing additional scholarship aid to develop an intercollegiate swimming program. Glen was the intercollegiate swim coach for Huntington College and continued to coach his YMCA teams.

In 1977, after nearly forty years of making miracles happen for his town, his teams, his swimmers, and the sport of swimming, Glen S. Hummer retired from coaching. In that year he was the recipient of the Joseph G. Rogers National Distinguished Service to Aquatics Award for providing outstanding leadership in his dedication to swimming and diving and to the YMCA Competitive Aquatic Program. A fitting tribute to a remarkable man!

Butch Sighting

A "cute" memory of Butch the Biology Teacher is found here at a Huntington High School Alumni blog for the class of '66--Ware, Kinkead and Folk's year found at rottentomatoes.com:

For those HHS grads who were not swim team members, we distinctly remember Coach Hummer as our beloved and amusing biology teacher who was frequently dressed in a plaid shirt and striped bowtie. Of course, he was color-blind as well and that led to some interesting combinations. It was not uncommon for Coach Hummer to lean back in his chair with both feet propped on his desk as he listened to his students' biology reports. During a report on beavers by Terry Abbett, Terry placed emphasis on the wrong word. He stated confidently that "beavers are known for their DAM building." The classroom erupted in laughter and Glen nearly fell out of his chair as he tried to stifle his own laughter. Good memories.

Steve Ware was an outstanding swimmer for both Coach Hummer and for Doc Councilman at Indiana University. Terry Abbett had a successful career at Huntington Laboratories and became Mayor of Huntington without ever again thinking about beavers.

Monday, October 8, 2007

HCCF kicks in $150K for ‘Y'

The Huntington County Community Foundation announced Thursday that it has awarded a grant for $150,000 to the Parkview Huntington Family YMCA capital campaign. The money will help construct the new 54,000 square-foot facility being built on land in front of Parkview Huntington on CR 500N. The HCCF grant pushes the total raised for the capital campaign over $7.3 million. The new facility and equipment are estimated to cost about $9.1 million, which means $1.8 million in pledges are still needed to have the facility completely paid for through contributions.

“It is the goal of the YMCA Board to have the new facility fully funded,” said Dan Akeley, executive director of the YMCA. “We do not want to put a financial strain on the future operations by carrying debt.” The grant for the “Y” comes from the Community Foundation's Unrestricted Fund, said Marcia McClelland, executive director of the HCCF. “It will be paid over five years in equal amounts,” she noted. The Community Foundation grant will be applied toward all of the locker room areas in the new building, including the family locker rooms. “The family locker rooms will be areas where mothers with young sons or dads with young daughters can conveniently get changed without making other members feel uncomfortable,” Akeley said.

The Community Foundation previously awarded a grant to the YMCA in 2004 for an indoor pool slide and another grant for 50 percent of the cost for youth fitness equipment, both of which will be moved to the new facility. The HCCF Board of Directors believes the new YMCA facility will have a direct impact on the people of Huntington County.

“The Community Foundation awarded the $150,000 grant to support the Huntington YMCA as it strives to fulfill its mission to provide programs in a Christian environment that will build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all people,” McClelland said.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Funds Still Needed

YMCA seeks help in issuing bonds

By JUDY FITZMAURICE, Staff Writer
Huntington Herald Press September 26, 2007

Funds needed for the new Parkview Huntington Family YMCA are still about $2 million shy of the $9 million needed to construct the 54,000 square-foot facility, so “Y” officials are seeking financing to cover the difference. They came before County Commissioners Monday morning asking for help. Dick Fox, an attorney representing the YMCA, told the Commissioners that the organization can borrow money on a tax-free basis because of its status under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The YMCA does, however, need a “conduit lender” in order to qualify for such financing. “We're looking to the county” to be that entity, Fox said. “The county would just be a conduit to accomplish this financing.” The county would issue bonds for the funds but have no obligation for repayment - the county would face no risk - by agreeing to serve as the conduit lender, Fox said. The bonds, or notes, would likely come from local sources - local financial institutions, he added.

“A lot of times groups just go out and sell bonds to businesses,” said Wayne Miller, a representative of Wells Fargo Bank, Chicago. “Our intent is to bring the entire community into this.” The county will have to revive its Economic Development Commission before the process can move forward. The Commission has been established but hasn't been used since the late 1980s, County Attorney Bob Garrett said. The Commission is made up of three people - one appointed by County Commissioners, one by County Council, and one by the Huntington Common Council. Commissioners Richard Brubaker, Steve Updike, and President Jerry Helvie agreed to contact several potential candidates and pass along the names of those willing to serve to County Council. Garrett took the issue to County Council Monday night, and Council gave him the go-ahead to work on the bonding proposal. He reiterated the fact that the county faces no liability in serving as the conduit lender. “They pay for it all,” Garrett told the Council. “There's no risk.”

YMCA officials hope to have the funding in place by the end of the year, but Garrett wasn't sure everything could be accomplished in that amount of time. Since the County Council does not meet again until Oct. 22, quickly appointing a new member to a revitalized EDC might require a special meeting.

Kinda Sad, Actually

Everybody out of the pool: Partial ceiling collapse closes YMCA aquatics facility forever
By CALEB SANDERS, Huntington Herald Press
Monday, September 17, 2007

The Huntington YMCA's pool - where generations of local children learned to swim and where future Olympians trained - is closed for good.

A section of the ceiling fell near one end of the pool area on Sept. 6 and more came down over last weekend, YMCA Executive Director Dan Akeley disclosed Friday. "The concrete in the ceiling has been eroding for years and it finally just gave in," he said. The YMCA was built in 1929. The organization is scheduled to move to a new facility next year. "We will be closing the pool until we open the new building next September," Akeley said. "We are working with (Huntington) university to help accommodate this year's aquatic programs." Huntington University has opened its pool to YMCA members and will provide space for those involved in the organization's programs. Arrangements have already been made for the water aerobics class, which will start at 11 a.m. on Monday at HU. "We are still working out the schedules for everything but open swim and lap swimmers will also be able to use the university," Akeley said and noted that an official announcement and schedule will be released soon. Akeley also said that members who want to be reimbursed for this inconvenience will be able to do so. The YMCA has had structural engineers in to assess the damage and is working with Weigand Construction to make sure the pool area is stable. "This is an old building and this incident just goes to show how much we need a new YMCA in Huntington," Akeley said.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

A Message from Director Dan



August 3, 2007

Dear Swim Team Reunion Attendee:

Thanks to all of you for attending the Huntington YMCA Swim Team Reunion. I hope you enjoyed the event. We felt the reunion was a success with 100 people attending the reception at the YMCA on Friday Night, 450 swimmers for the Glen S. Hummer Huntington Mile and 250 people attending the banquet on Saturday Night. A special thank you goes out to Anne and Lynn Pittenger, as well as all the people who spoke at the banquet.

We do have T-shirts left over from the event. If you did not get one at the banquet, please let us know and we will get one to you. Also, the DVD is currently being put together and should be mailed to you in late August.

The Huntington YMCA does have a new website, www.huntingtony.org. Please take a look at our site. We will update the website with pictures of construction of the new YMCA on a regular basis.

Fundraising is continuing for the construction of the new YMCA. Currently, the Y has raised $7.1 million, but needs $9 million to build and equip the new facility. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to the campaign. Members of the swim team have contributed close to $500,000 for the new facility, which enables the YMCA to construct the Glen S. Hummer Natatorium. If you have not contributed yet, you can download a pledge card from the new website as mentioned above.

Finally, details are still being put together for a history/memory magazine. The magazine would be approximately 32 pages and would include a history of the Huntington YMCA swim team, historic pictures, pictures from the reunion, select reflections from swim team members and a profile on Glen S. Hummer. The cost of the magazine would be approximately $20.00. We are trying to determine the need for such a magazine. Please e-mail me at the address below and let me know whether or not you would be interested in purchasing a magazine.

If you have any questions, please contact me at the YMCA, 260-356-4200 or via e-mail at ymcadan@kconline.com.

Sincerely,

Dan Akeley

Executive Director

Still Needing Nickles and Dimes (and more?)



From the new Parkview Huntington Family YMCA website linked at the right of this page:

The mission of the Huntington YMCA is “to provide programs in a Christian environment that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all people.” We would like you to help us expand our mission to build a legacy for our community.

By making a contribution to the Huntington YMCA, you will have a direct impact on Huntington County. Your investment will help build a modern full-service facility, which will serve area individuals, and most importantly, our youth and their families. This facility is projected to complete in 2008.

YMCA staff and volunteers work very hard to meet the programming needs and services of Huntington County. We build great relationships with our members and program participants. The time to build a new full-service facility for the community is now.

Parkview Huntington Hospital has donated 7 acres of land between Crestview Middle School and the hospital. This site is large enough for future expansion needs, easily accessible from most all areas of the community, and is located in the middle of one of Huntington County’s projected growth areas.

Every person that donates will be permanently recognized in the new facility—no matter how big or small of a gift!!!

Giving Levels:

Founder: $100,000 and above
Builder: $50,000 to $99,999
Benefactor: $25,000 to $49,999
Patron: $10,000 to $24,999
Leader: $5,000 to $9,999
Friend: $2,500 to $4,999
Community: $1,000 to $2,499
Supporter: $999 and under

Why build a new Huntington YMCA?

*The YMCA will once again, become the gathering place for the community. Huntington will be considered a better place to live with great wellness and recreation facilities and programs.

*The YMCA is a beacon of light. All people can prosper through programs and activities that the YMCA provides. Our mission and character development programs make a positive impact.

*Building a new YMCA will help improve the financial picture of the YMCA. With more financial resources, the YMCA will be able to do more mission work.
The current YMCA facility is 76 years old and is no longer a functional facility to carry out programs of today and tomorrow.

*YMCA membership has grown 67% in the last 3 years. As membership and programs continue to grow, a new facility is needed to expand with the demand. A new facility will help the YMCA expand its programs and services to the entire community.

One of the two indoor pools will have zero entry area, which will make access available for everyone. The other pool will be large enough to be utilized by swim teams, including hosting meets. In addition, different water features will be in the pools, which will make swimming fun for all ages. The gymnasium will be large enough to expand the Kim League Youth Basketball Program, as well as start a volleyball program for youth and adults. Basketball tournaments will also be a possibility. The Fitness Center will be expanded with additional cardio machines and new free weight equipment. The existing Matrix and Youth Equipment will be moved to the new facility. A suspended 1/11 mile indoor track will also add to the fitness activities available to members. The Aerobics/Dance Studio will have floating wood flooring and mirrors for the participants. With a new facility, many additional programs will be added as well to keep up with modern fitness trends and needs of the community. The Child Watch Room will be large enough to accommodate many more children with separate areas for infants, toddlers, and youth.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Summertime, and the swimmin' is easy

Swimmer Takes Plunge at North Pole
AP, Posted: 2007-07-17 08:21:08

TORONTO (July 16) - A British swimmer who says he wants to wake up politicians around the world to the threat of climate change has successfully completed a kilometer-long swim in the waters of the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh swam Sunday for 18 minutes and 50 seconds in below-freezing water temperatures of in just Speedo briefs, cap and goggles. "I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy," the 37-year-old British lawyer said after coming out of the water. "A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole." Pugh said he hoped that his swim will make world leaders take climate change seriously. "The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world," he said.

"I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic - these creatures are on the front line up here." Swimming has given him a unique perspective on climate change, Pugh says on his website. "I have witnessed retreating glaciers, decreasing sea ice, coral bleaching, severe droughts and the migration of animals to colder climates." "It's as a result of these experiences that I am determined to do my bit to raise awareness about the fragility of our environment and to encourage everyone to take action."

Training for the challenge in northern Norway, Pugh said last month that he would place the flags of 10 countries at 100-meter intervals in the snow alongside his path through the water, representing the homes of the people on his team. The fifth flag would be Canada's. "Canada is so important to me. Your government has sort of lurched away from the environment a little bit. It's a dream to try to get my message in to Canada," Pugh said in June. Calling it the hardest swim of his life, Pugh said Sunday that the water was black when he jumped in. "It was like jumping into a dark black hole. It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire," said Pugh, who's an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund UK. "I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions."

Colin Butfield of WWF UK called the challenge "a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change." Pugh is known for his epic swims in waters from the Antarctic to the Indian Ocean.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2007-07-16 15:50:21

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Way to Go Team! 47 Alums Finish Masters Mile

Glen S Hummer Huntington Mile 2007 - 6/16/2007

Results

Girls 18-24 1.76k Open Water

1 Mead, Mallory R 21 22:44.66
2 Molitor, Nicole M 24 26:14.14
3 Painter, Megan E 20 27:35.98
4 Lewis, Jennifer M 22 29:40.01
5 Lewis, Heather M 20 33:24.43

Men 18-24 1.76k Open Water

1 Young, Joshua W 20 25:19.64
2 Mundell, Kyle M 21 25:41.22
3 Wert, Sean E 19 26:39.28
4 Robbins, Zachary T 18 27:40.13
5 VerBryck, Matthew A 22 28:12.76
6 Robbins, Nathan L 19 30:31.57

Women 25-29 1.76k Open Water

1 Marks, Sarah J 26 27:59.92
2 Hedgecow, Kathryn G 28 30:43.66
3 Johnson, Laura J 26 30:44.21
4 Carroll, Sherist S 27 36:00.62

Men 25-29 1.76k Open Water

1 Nieto, Jose M 26 22:36.62
2 Proffitt, Jordan D 25 24:04.31
3 Hammer, Rick A 26 28:11.51

Women 30-34 1.76k Open Water

1 Nieto, Alexandra 34 23:51.22
2 Holloway, Erin K 34 28:32.47
3 Roddis, Erin D 30 35:45.61
4 Robinson, Julie 31 35:59.04

Men 30-34 1.76k Open Water

1 Stanley, Sean M 32 25:11.53
2 Roddis, Charles E 33 27:43.99
3 DeRose, Mike A 33 34:51.73

Women 35-39 1.76K Open Water

1 Weaver, Heather R 36 27:38.98
2 Ackley, Kara A 37 30:37.38
3 Crickmore, Amy M 37 31:10.62
4 Lamon, Becca L 36 41:20.67

Men 35-39 1.76k Open Water

1 Bendall, Clark A 37 25:34.33
2 Sprunger, Jeff L 36 27:48.40
3 Harrell, Tony M 35 29:13.72
4 Nelson, John R 37 29:31.51
5 Turley, Troy A 38 30:04.71
6 Hershberger, Fred A 38 31:00.49
7 O'Connell, Patrick S 38 32:21.44
8 Schenkel, Mark T 39 32:48.41
9 Naunas, John E 35 36:06.20
---Robinson, Brent L 37 DNF

Women 40-44 1.76k Open Water

1 Poff, Christina M 40 28:58.68
2 Collins, Linda K 40 28:59.98
3 Slavich, Susannah K 40 29:03.73
4 Maisonneuve, Andrea 44 30:52.40
5 Kruger, Jill P 40 33:59.12
6 Horne, Mona J 44 35:05.94

Men 40-44 1.76k Open Water

1 Pesut, Bernie B 42 24:41.86
2 Harlos, Brent A 43 25:34.32
3 Cater, Gary P 42 25:36.97
4 Kline, Thomas A 43 25:47.07
5 Biehl, Dan J 43 27:49.71
6 Cook, Anthony J 44 29:27.41
7 Henry, Mike W 43 30:11.19
8 Kruger, Alex M 44 35:05.35
9 Bregoff, Keith 43 39:40.44
10 Murray, William G 41 40:17.81
11 Zay, Andy R 40 46:21.21
---Cozad, Donald D 41 DNF

Women 45-49 1.76k Open Water

1 Gettelfinger, Cheryl 49 27:50.93
2 Richter, Janet 46 28:29.63
3 Wilson, Mary J 46 29:58.79
4 Swartz, Andrea M 45 29:59.43
5 Lank, Theresa P 45 30:11.67
6 Spencer, Liz P 46 32:20.87
7 Madden, Kathy A 48 32:47.81
8 Schroeder, Rebecca A 45 36:05.81

Men 45-49 1.76k Open Water

1 Roby, Brad L 46 22:01.14
2 Higginbottom, Keith L 49 24:43.08
3 Vogel, Thomas A 47 26:47.29
4 Shaw, George D 46 27:19.62
5 Amick, Kevin R 47 28:10.59
6 Hacker, Mike A 48 29:21.82
7 Strass, Kirk A 48 29:37.12
8 Grotness, Erik T 49 30:18.30
9 Owen, Dave D 49 32:14.89
10 Newkirk, Craig A 49 33:13.02
11 Cook, Kip D 47 36:48.84

Women 50-54 1.76k Open Water

1 Walker, Robin E 51 31:01.66
---Mull, Karla K 50 DNF

Men 50-54 1.76k Open Water

1 Snyder, Scott S 50 25:08.36
2 Ruley, Joe 50 29:12.88
3 Hatlem, Steve H 53 29:20.67
4 Vogel, Matt H 50 30:28.35
5 Amick, Alan D 51 33:08.03
6 Hart, Digger 50 38:55.90

Women 55-59 1.76k Open Water

1 Larsen, Barbara H 59 32:18.89

Men 55-59 1.76k Open Water

1 Baer, Michael G 55 26:15.04
2 Gustafson, Lee O 55 26:56.04
3 Sager, Don A 57 27:09.55
4 Huesken, Timothy J 55 27:12.34
5 Marks, John H 57 27:28.93
6 Goshorn, Greg 56 28:50.97
7 MacDonald, James D 56 29:19.88
8 Bever, John D 59 33:51.78
9 Dingledy, John F 57 38:07.41
10 Barney, James N 56 38:46.93
11 Ware, Steve B 59 44:40.42
12 Slame, Joseph P 58 47:56.67

Women 60-64 1.76k Open Water

1 Marks, Mary A 62 44:24.44

Men 60-64 1.76k Open Water

1 Mick, Kent J 60 31:21.70

Women 65-69 1.76k Open Water

1 Wesemeyer, Betty S 66 50:11.53
--- 396 Hensel, Jane S 68 DNF

Men 65-69 1.76k Open Water

1 Pittenger, Lynn L 67 28:39.63
2 Shriner, William N 66 30:08.60
3 Bendall, Ted L 67 35:36.57

Monday, June 18, 2007

The Great White Father

Remembering the great coach of many great coaches, disciplinarian, motivator, teacher, and really, friend who cared and sometimes scared. Glen S. Hummer was a great man, an athlete, never a dad, but a father, to scores of lads and a few lassies, over a 40-year span in a small town in the Hoosier Heartland. We gathered together to reminisce about him and his many contributions. There were many laughs, a few stifled chokes, numerous fond memories of times under his sometimes stern watch and, of course, of what we got away with, or tried to. We heard of fathers who swam for Butch, and their sons who did so too. We heard Olympic medalists give keynote speeches on Father's Day eve, 2007: one whose father swam before him and with him, the other who spoke of how no two people in his life had ever influenced him more--Glen Hummer and his own father, each now deceased. There were 250 people in attendance: former swimmers, family and friends, all touched in many ways, great and small, by one man, one coach—Butch, a father to us all. From the Invocation by Father Ron Rieder (a YMCA Board Member) to the Benediction by Rev. Jim MacDonald (HY Class of '69) there seemed to be a strong presence felt from not one, but two fathers. We thank them both.

249 in attendance and a great time was had by all!



When the Huntington YMCA put together a swim meet and reunion for its former swimmers, the response was immediate. The events were held over the weekend, with 441 swimmers participating in a meet at Lake Clare and 249 people attending a reunion celebration. Swimmers wade into the water for another heat in the Glenn S. Hummer Huntington Mile. (Herald-Press/Matthew Berry)

New Y Building Plans

Tributes to Hummer will link the old and the new

You won't have to look to hard in the new YMCA to find traces of the building on Warren Street. Plans not only call for a familiar name to grace the building's centerpiece natatorium, but photographs from the YMCA's past will have a place of honor in the new building and there might even be an architectural detail or two carried over. The main link between old and new will be the late Glen S. Hummer, who coached Huntington teams to 10 national YMCA titles in a 44-year career. “We're hoping to raise enough money for a naming opportunity for our natatorium,” said YMCA executive director Dan Akeley. “We'd like it to be the Glen S. Hummer Natatorium. And our appeal to swimmers and supporters of the program has raised around $400,000 so far.” Plans call for a photograph of Hummer and accompanying text to be on prominent display in the new YMCA, which is being built near Parkview Huntington Hospital. A mock-up of the exhibit will be displayed at the downtown YMCA this weekend for the swim reunion, he said. “We found a couple of really big pictures from the 1940s of national championship teams,” Akeley added. “We'd like to get those in shape and be able to display them, too.” Those 3-by-5-foot prints were found in storage in the YMCA basement, and a search of Y archives has turned up photos of YMCA teams from the 1940s through the 1960s.“We'll have 8-by-10 framed photos of all the national championship teams on display this weekend,” he said, adding that there will be a place of honor for those pictures in the new facility. “We're thinking of having the conference room as the ‘history' room,” he said of the new building. “We are looking into bringing one of the fireplaces from the current building, and possibly one of the windows or some of the tile work.” The fireplace, if it is reassembled in the new building, won't be functional, he noted. Along with photos of the great swim teams, past YMCA directors' portraits might also take their place either in the conference room - where board of directors' meetings will be held - or line a wall in the new building.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Swimmers celebrate what was, and what's to come




By PAUL SIEGFRIED, Sports Editor
Huntington Herald Press June 14, 2007

The history of swimming at the Huntington YMCA could fill volumes. Well, at least one very large volume. There's a rich legacy that can draw direct lines from Huntington to the greatest swimmers the United States has ever produced, but never before has that history been compiled. Now as the YMCA prepares to leave its familiar Warren Street location and move to its new home on the north side of town, the people and events that shaped that history are finally coming together. Former swimmers who competed on teams from 1933 to 1996 will return to Huntington this weekend for events to celebrate the YMCA's history, and also the facility's future. Among the events scheduled Friday are a golf outing, a swim camp at Lake Clare and a reception in the evening at the YMCA. On Saturday, Lake Clare will host an open-water swim meet, including the Huntington Mile and an Olympic prequalifying event. The main event, the reunion banquet, will be held Saturday night at Huntington North High School. On Sunday, a Father's Day brunch held will be held at the site of the new YMCA on CR 500N near Parkview Huntington Hospital.

To go along with the celebration, records from Huntington's national championship competition have also been compiled. Anne Pittenger, a former YMCA swim team member who worked at the Huntington YMCA for 27 years, was asked by YMCA executive director Dan Akeley to take on the task of collecting as much information as could be found on the history of swimming at the local Y. She her husband, Lynn, began their research last summer, and have just completed the 550-page volume. “Dan had said they would like to do a reunion to help raise funds for the new Y, so he sort of dropped that little bug,” said Anne. “Later on that day, we talked that we probably ought to give back. We'd been involved with the Y for so many years, that this is something we should do.” In the basement of the YMCA, the Pittengers found numerous scrapbooks from over the years. From those scrapbooks, they came up with names of some 800 former swim team members, and began to contact as many as they could.

Of the 800 names, they turned up approximately 500 complete addresses. Around 100 of the swimmers had died, and another 200 or so could not be tracked down. The ones they did find have all been invited to the reunion. Each was sent a biography form to fill out, and that information will be put together for another publication at a later date. “There's going to be a memory book that is going to be published after the reunion,” said Lynn. “They want to get a group picture of everyone at the reunion that can be included.”

The Pittengers were able to talk to a number of the former swimmers in their research. “Some of the stories we've gotten from these people are just amazing,” said Anne. “A lot of the swimmers have done quite well. Everyone I've talked to has been very proud to be a part of the swimming world. They felt it helped them grow as an individual.” The man responsible for putting Huntington YMCA swimming on the map was Glen Hummer, whose record of success was unparalleled during his 44 years coaching the local team. Hummer began the swimming program in 1933 and first took a Huntington squad to the YMCA national championships in 1936, where they finished fifth Huntington won its first national title in 1940, and added nine more over Hummer's tenure, the last championship coming in 1969. No other program in the country won as many national titles over that time than Hummer's Huntington team.

In addition to the 10 first-place finishes, Huntington placed second nine times and was third five times. Hummer produced 18 individual national champions and 32 All-Americans. At the state level, Huntington won 15 Indiana YMCA championships and had 359 individual state champions during Hummer's tenure. Two of Hummer's swimmers rose to the pinnacle of the sport. Gary Dilley swam in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, earning a silver medal in the 200 backstroke. In 1976, Matt Vogel swam in the Montreal Games, winning two golds with a win in the 100 butterfly and as a member of the winning 4x100 medley relay team. Dilley and Vogel will return to Huntington this weekend and will be guest speakers for Saturday's reunion banquet. A total of 18 swimmers from Hummer's Huntington YMCA program competed in seven Olympic trials from 1936 to 1976. The Huntington legacy continued with one of Hummer's proteges, George Haines, who left Huntington for California. There, he became the top swimming coach in the United States, developing the country's greatest swimmers including Mark Spitz. Hummer coached the Huntington YMCA team until 1977, and died in 1992. Haines died last year. While the achievements of Hummer's team are impressive, it was the impact Hummer made on individual lives that the Pittengers say have been the most lasting. “So many people told us they don't know where they'd be today if it hadn't been for Glen Hummer,” said Anne. “He was a no-nonsense person and he drove them hard. He expected a lot out of his swimmers. He taught more than swimming.” Memories are still vivid, even for some of the oldest former swimmers. “Talking to them on the phone has been fun,” said Anne. “One fellow, Kendrick Pilkenton, was captain of the first national championship team in 1940. He lives in Sturgis, Michigan, and he taught school for 30-some years. When I first talked to him, he told me he was basically a very shy person, then he talked to me for 45 minutes.”

In addition to the more than 800 swimmers who competed on his teams, Hummer was responsible for teaching more than 2,000 Huntington youngsters how to swim. During his tenure, nearly 90 swimmers earned college scholarships. Hummer would take in anyone who wanted to learn to swim, said Anne. “He took on kids who had no athletic ability at all, and he worked with what he had,” she said. As they researched the YMCA's history, the Pittengers also heard a few quirky stories. Transporting a swim team of more than 20 members to national events to all corners of the country was expensive, especially in Depression-era times.

“One of the fellas told us that the swimmers had to go around town asking for nickels and dimes to buy gas to get to Boston, because they just didn't have any money,” said Anne. Hummer would save money by camping out along the way to the events. He had some favorite places to stop, but on occasion the entourage would just decide to pull over whenever they got tired. One year, the group stopped at night and the swimmer spread out sleeping bags on the ground. When they woke up the next morning, they found they had spent the night sleeping on a green of a golf course. Even finding transportation was difficult. In their first trip to the nationals, a large truck was donated the team by Huntington businessman Howard Kriegbaum, and Hummer set up a stove in the back of the truck to cook meals for the team.

Later, the YMCA got its own truck, nicknamed “Goo the First,” said Anne. A second truck earned the name “Goo Goo 2.” Eventually, the YMCA was able to purchase a school bus to transport the team. In addition to Hummer's success with the YMCA swim team, he's also known as the father of open water swimming, and Huntington teams won 12 long-distance swimming national championships and produced 35 All-Americans.The Glen Hummer Huntington Mile, the national championship of open-water swimming, was held at Lake Clare from 1975 to 1986, and was revived just two years ago. This year's event will be held Saturday at Lake Clare, along with a five-kilometer open-water Grand Prix Qualifier, which serves as a qualifying event for the Olympic trials.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Spider's Spin

Hello All,

We are now one week away from our big event. To date we are at nearly 175 reservations for the banquet. And the good news is they are still coming in. 80(not all HY Alums, however) are registered for the master's swim on Saturday morning, 70 for the open house on Friday night at the Y and there are now 38 reservations for the Father's Day Brunch.

We have well over $400,000.00 in the Glen S. Hummer Natatorium Fund. Groundbreaking for the new Y was Friday, June 1 and what a beautiful location it is! Completion of the new building should be by late summer or fall
of 2008.

Sincerely,

Anne "Spider" Clampitt-Pittenger

Social Time at 6:00 PM Commons Area

Dinner at 6:30 PM Cafeteria

PROGRAM

Master of Ceremonies: John Dingledy & Jim Barney

Welcome: Bob McCoy

Invocation: Father Ron Reider

YMCA Building Project: Mike Hacker

History of Huntington Y Swim Teams: John Dingledy/Jim Barney & Selected Swimmers

Keynote Speaker: Gary Dilley, Olympic Silver Medalist

Keynote Speaker: Matt Vogel, Olympic Gold Medalist

Benediction: Jim MacDonald


Dessert at 9:00 PM, Commons Area

Monday, June 4, 2007

Hallelujah!

Ground broken for new YMCA From The Herald Press, Monday, June 4, 2007


The YMCA has received just more than $6.9 million in pledges as it works toward raising $9 million for the new building, and $131 of that was donated by friends of Toriana Simoes - who asked for donations to the Y instead of presents for her birthday. Simoes was one of the speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The current Warren Street building will be replaced by a larger facility in front of Parkview Huntington Hospital, which donated the land and pledged an additional $1.55 million for construction. Huntington University will also make a major donation to the project, with plans to close its pool and use the YMCA facility instead.

Construction is set to begin in mid-June, and the new building should be open by late summer or early fall of 2008.

Friday, May 18, 2007

YMCA pleads for quick pledges

from The Herald Press, Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Groundbreaking for the new Parkview Huntington Family YMCA is set for June 1, but the Y's executive director is warning that, without financial support from the community, some of the facility's bells and whistles may have to wait.“We won't reduce the size of the building,” YMCA Executive Director Dan Akeley said Tuesday. But unless pledges start coming in from the community, some of the new facility's planned features may have to be omitted or put on hold, Akeley said. The number of cardio machines could be reduced; a large slide in the pool area could be omitted; and specific rooms may not be finished off.

The new building, which will be built in front of Parkview Huntington Hospital on CR 500N, could open on schedule without those items. They could be added later as money becomes available, Akeley said. But architects need to know soon how much money they have to work with. “By the end of August, they need to know everything,” Akeley said. “So by the first of August, we need to know how much money we have.”

The YMCA wants to raise $9 million for its new facility, and its capital campaign currently stands at almost $6.7 million - with close to $1 million of that received through pledges from individuals. That leaves $2.3 million yet to raise. “The bottom line is that we need the community to step up and help the YMCA build the facility as designed,” said Steve Zahn, the Y's capital campaign chairman. “Every pledge is important, from the $100 pledge to the $1 million pledge.”

Pledges can be paid over a five-year period. All contributors will be recognized on a plaque inside the new facility, and major contributors can name a portion of the building.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Register Now!

Below is a reservation form for the June 16 reunion. You will also
be receiving a copy in the mail, within the next few days. If you have
not sent in your profile/biography, please do so now! We need them for the
Memory Book.



HUNTINGTON YMCA

SWIM TEAM REUNION

JUNE 15 – 17, 2007

As you know, the Huntington YMCA has a rich history of swim teams since the early 1930’s. To celebrate this history, the YMCA is having a reunion for all former swim team members and their families. You are invited to attend! Listed below is the schedule of optional events over the weekend.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

Call for tee time Golf LaFountaine Golf Course

12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Swim Camp Lake Clare

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Reception YMCA

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Open Water Swim Meet Lake Clare

6:00 PM – 9:30 PM Reunion Banquet Huntington North High School

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Fathers Day Brunch New YMCA Site

Event Descriptions:

Golf: Enjoy 18 holes at LaFountaine Golf Course. Arrange your group and call the golf course directly, 260-356-5820, for a tee time. Green fees for tee times before 10:00 are $17.00 for players 60 and over, and $22.00 for all other players, which includes 18 holes and a cart. Green fees increase $9.00 per person for tee times after 10:00.

Swim Camp: The swim camp will be held at Lake Clare on Friday, June 15. The clinic is for 32 of the best 11 and up distance swimmers in Indiana. The camp starts at noon and will be highlighted by special guest speaker, Rick Walker. Coach Walker received the 2005 Glen S. Hummer Award from USA Swimming and coached the U. S. National Open Water Swim Team in the 2005 World Championships in Montreal.

Reception: The YMCA will be open for tours, historic pictures will be available for viewing and refreshments will be served. This will be a great time to catch up with your old teammates and recall the memories of your swim team career.

Open Water Swim Meet: Different divisions will take place throughout the day, including a Masters Division and the Olympic Qualifying event. Go online to www.huntingtonmile.org if you are interested in participating in the event. There is no fee for watching the event.

Reunion Banquet: The banquet will include a dinner with a program immediately following the dinner. The program will include Gary Dilley and Matt Vogel featured as keynote speakers, the history of the Huntington YMCA Swim Team and much more. This is sure to be the highlight of the weekend. Cost for the banquet is $25.00 per person, which includes a T-shirt and DVD.

Fathers Day Brunch: Tents will put up on the site of the new YMCA, which will be located on 500 N between Parkview Huntington Hospital and Crestview Middle School. A buffet will be provided. Cost of the brunch is $7.00 per person.

HUNTINGTON YMCA

SWIM TEAM REUNION

JUNE 15 – 17, 2007

REGISTRATION

Name____________________________Home Phone_____________Cell___________

Address_______________________City________________State_____ZIP___________

E-Mail__________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 AMOUNT DUE

Swim Clinic _____# Attending No Charge

Reception _____# Attending No Charge

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

Open Water Spectator _____# Attending No Charge

Open Water Participant (Enter on-line at www.huntingtonmile.org)

Reunion Banquet _____# Attending x $25.00 $______________

(includes Reunion T-Shirt and DVD)

T-Shirt Size(s)_____________________

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Fathers Day Brunch _____# Attending x $7.00 $______________

TOTAL DUE AND ENCLOSED $______________

If paying by Credit Card:

___Visa ____Mastercard #________________________ Expiration Date____________

Please return registration form and payment to the Huntington YMCA by June 1, 2007: Huntington YMCA

607 Warren Street

Huntington, IN 46750.

260-356-4200

Thursday, April 26, 2007

YMCA Capital Campaign Fund Raising Effort Update

From The Herald Press, Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The YMCA's capital campaign fund-raising efforts for the new facility are continuing and pledge cards for the community portion of the drive are now available at the front desk. Anyone interested in helping to build the new community YMCA who would like to receive a pledge packet by mail is asked to call the Y at 356-4200.

So far, the YMCA has acquired $6 million in gifts and pledges toward its overall capital campaign goal of $8 million. Just over $2 million is still needed in order to build the new facility. Pledges can be spread over a five year period and are tax deductible. No matter how large or small the donation, the Y needs everyone's support to make this dream come true.

“We have been blessed with much success in early fund-raising for the new Y, Executive Director Dan Akeley said recently. “We still have much work to do and would greatly appreciate help from other community members. Together, I know we can take this campaign past that $8 million goal,” Akeley said.

Anyone interested in helping is asked to contact Akeley by telephone at 356-4200 or via e-mail at ymcadan@kconline.net.

Thursday, March 8, 2007

We are getting an 8 Laner

University will close its swimming facility, help fund YMCA

By BETH KNOLL, Staff Writer, The Huntington Herald Press, 3/8/06

The new warm-water pool at the planned Parkview Huntington Family YMCA will be known as the Forester Pool, thanks to a quarter-million-dollar donation from Huntington University.

The university announced its $250,000 pledge to the YMCA on Monday afternoon in President G. Blair Dowden's office. The money will be given over a six-year period, and Dowden said that HU's current pool, which dates to the early 1970s, will close when the new Y opens in the summer of 2008. The HU pool is located in the Merillat Complex for Physical Education and Recreation.

Tom Ayers, vice president for business and finance, said Huntington University spends $60,000 each year to operate its pool, which includes the cost of supplies, chemicals, utilities, and labor costs for routine operations and for lifeguards. Upcoming repairs could cost an additional $217,000 and include cleaning and repainting support beams, replacing or repairing the pool deck, replacing the filter system, upgrading temperature controls, and replacing the air handler unit in the pool area.

“Ignoring for a moment rising utility rates, likely increases in wage rates for lifeguards, and the general impact of inflation on other costs, the university would spend more than $800,000 on the pool over the next 10 years,” Ayers said.

The university's donation will help the Y increase the size of its competition pool from six to eight lanes and increase the size of the warm-water recreational and therapy pool, which will bear the name of the university's athletic teams.

“The larger pools will be able to handle all the additional programming needs that the university currently conducts in (its) existing pool as well as the YMCA's needs,” said Dan Akeley, executive director of the YMCA.


For 10 years after the new YMCA opens its pool facilities, students and employees of the university, guests staying at HU for summer conferences, and participants in the university's aquatics classes can swim at the Y for free.

Also, Huntington University will give a discount to YMCA members for use of MCPER facilities, and the YMCA will give a discount to MCPER members to use the Y. The discounts have not yet been set and will be determined on a yearly basis.

Akeley said the family membership rate at the YMCA will be raised from $35 monthly to between $40 and $42 monthly after the new facilities open, and other rates will be raised accordingly.

The MCPER pool will be filled in and its space will be used for other athletic needs when the entire facility is due for remodeling.

“We think it's a good stewardship issue for us,” Dowden said. “The pool is not well-used by our students,” which is typical of university pools these days, he added.

The pool is mainly used for occasional aquatics classes, open swim times, and senior citizen swimming on weekday mornings. Seniors will need a YMCA membership to swim in the Y pool. The YMCA will employ its own lifeguards, and HU students now serving as lifeguards can apply to work at the Y, Akeley added.

Construction of the new YMCA is expected to begin in April or May and should be completed by the summer of 2008. The YMCA will be located adjacent to the university's campus on the grounds of Parkview Huntington Hospital.

Dowden said the university began pool talks with the YMCA 1 1/2 years ago.

The YMCA has acquired $6 million in gifts and pledges toward an overall capital campaign goal of $8 million.

The Y has also asked other organizations, including the Huntington County Community School Corporation, for commitments of pool use. HCCSC Superintendent Tracey Shafer said he and members of the HCCSC board of trustees are still waiting on proposed lease figures from the Y board before making any decisions in the matter.



Saturday, March 3, 2007

The Best in Any Tank, by George!

From an article titled "The Best in Any Tank, By George!" by Coles Phinizy in "Sports Illustrated" 7/22/68

Summing up the merits of his old coach, George says: "Glenn Hummer was the kind of man who would cross a river of burning oil if one of his kids was in trouble. He was also the kind who, if you said a wrong word, would warn you once and the next time slap you across the face. I still have his hand print on my fanny." (Just why Hummer chose to whack Haines on a lower cheek rather than an upper is not clear. Let us leave it that way.)

When Haines first got in the swim Hummer used to cart his team to meets in a Model-T truck. They always put up at "The Cloverleaf Motel"--which is to say they camped out on the greensward. When it rained hard they moved under the overhang at the nearest filling station. Although Hummer's vehicles got better in time, his driving did not. One slick winter day, at the wheel of a secondhand bus, Hummer missed the T in a road, went through a fence and, without so much as a snort of dismay or a downshift, did a smart turn in a cornfield, emerged through the hole he had just made in the fence and proceeded in his intended direction. "Glenn Hummer is the only man I know," George insists, "who could leave Terre Haute for Indianapolis and end up in Lafayette, going in the opposite direction. When we drove at night I would sit beside him and keep nudging him. 'I've only got one eye closed,' Hummer would tell me. In 1961, or maybe '62, when I took a Santa Clara team back to the waterworks pool in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the moment I drove to the place I knew where I was. I drove right past the pool and up a hill, and there, camping in a tent in the same spot, was Glenn Hummer and six or seven of his kids." (For those who feel history, however disjointed, should be brought up to date, Glenn Hummer is still at it, doing his best to keep his vehicles on the road and producing swimmers who are far better than Haines. (His Huntington team won the national YMCA championship this year.)

From an Obituary of George Haines by Cecil Colwin in "Swim News" 5/1/06:

Records at the Huntington YMCA show that a Haines has been a member of the "Y" since 1932, and this is where George and his brothers became interested in swimming under the spell of coach Glenn Hummer, coach-mentor at the local YMCA, who was also the high school biology teacher.

In the 1940s, George Haines was a member of the Huntington YMCA swim team that Hummer coached to two YMCA National Championships. Glen Hummer was to become the major factor in developing the young George Haines' interest in competitive swimming, and in the shaping of his character. Hummer's friendship and guidance continued as he assumed a mentor role for George when he began his competitive coaching career in the 1950's.

Even before he became a swimming coach, Haines learned the value of a good early distance background, because Glen Hummer first trained him to be a 1500 swimmer. (Haines was later to become the conference champion in the 50 freestyle at San Jose State College in California, a big drop from swimming the 1500!)

When Hummer died, Haines said.: "He was a great, great man, His techniques were ahead of the time. I felt his loss as if an arm had been cut off."

Welcome

Hello fellow Hummer alumni. We each have memories of the huge influence Glen S. Hummer had on us all. The Huntington YMCA is still conducting a continuing funding campaign for the marvelous new facility which replaces the one we all swam in and more since the team began in 1933. This space is for us to meet and/or meet up again. There were 250 at the reunion on June 16, 2007, coinciding with the newly reestablished Huntington Mile at ole Lake Clare in which many of us swam again. All are invited and welcomed to submit reminiscences here (click on "comments" in the section below.) See some of you, again we hope, at the 2010 Glen S. Hummer Huntington Masters Mile. And visit us on facebook too at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#%21/group.php?gid=100802262318&ref=ts



.....

Huntington YMCA Building Program

Note: To donate to the fund-raising campaign for the new YMCA (and its Hummer Pool) contact:

Dan Akeley, Executive Director, Huntington YMCA, 607 Warren St., Huntington, IN 46750, 260-356-4200, ymcadan@kconline.com

From The Herald Press12/18/06

Goal: $8 million; In hand: $5.4 million; Yet to raise: $2.6 million

It will take $8 million to build a new YMCA, and that's the amount the Y's fund-raising committee has set as its goal. With the $2 million gift from Parkview Huntington Hospital - seven acres of land worth $450,000 and a pledge of $1.55 million in cash from the hospital's Community Benefit dollars - the capital campaign committee now has $5.4 million in hand, said Dan Akeley, the YMCA's executive director.

That $5.4 million, which includes pledges that will be paid over the next five years, came in as the result of a campaign that began in May as YMCA volunteers contacted potential major donors, Akeley said. That leaves the YMCA with $2.6 million yet to raise. Some of that will come from additional major donors, Akeley said, but the Y hopes to raise $250,000 from people throughout Huntington County who are everyday users (or former users) of the facility. An effort to reach those people will begin in late January and continue until June, Akeley said. YMCA volunteers will begin with personal contacts and later use phone calls and letters to solicit donations.

From The Herald Press, 12/18/06

The inside story: Nearly double the usable space

The new Parkview Huntington YMCA will encompass about 52,000 square feet, all on one floor, with two pools, two basketball floors, and an elevated walking track. By comparison, the current facility has about 30,000 square feet of usable space on three levels, one pool, one basketball court, and no dedicated place to walk - although it does have numerous nooks and crannies that may have had a function when the Warren street building opened in 1930, but now serve no useful purpose.

The new building was designed by Moake Park Group, a Fort Wayne-based architectural firm whose work can be seen in the Parkview Huntington Hospital building as well as the Jorgensen Family YMCA in Allen County. Moake Park's design for the Huntington YMCA was intended for a 14-acre site north of Huntington that the YMCA board originally planned to purchase, said Dan Akeley, the Y's executive director. The building and parking areas would have occupied only seven acres of that site, Akeley said, and can be moved to the Parkview site practically unchanged. "The floor plans will basically be the same," Akeley said. "It worked for both sites." The remainder of the original 14-acre site would have held a soccer field, two retention ponds, and a fitness trail. At the new site, retention ponds are already in place outside the YMCA's seven acres. Although there's no room for a soccer field, there's a possibility of additional property being made available for soccer sometime in the future. In addition to surveying members about what they wanted in a new facility, YMCA board members checked out features of other recently built YMCAs.

"We learned a lesson from the Jorgensen YMCA," Akeley said. "They have one pool, and if someone has an accident in the pool, they have to shut down the whole thing." The Huntington Y board decided to go with two pools, side by side. "If somebody has an accident, we can just shut the one pool down," Akeley said. The smaller pool will have a "zero," or sloped, entry making it accessible to people in wheelchairs and others with limited mobility. It's water will be warm enough to be comfortable for swimming and aerobics classes. The second pool will be large enough to be used by swim teams and can also be used to host meets. The gym's two basketball courts can be separated by a curtain. A fitness center will include both free weights and cardio equipment, and an adjacent aerobics/dance area will feature floating floors. A walking track, one-tenth of a mile long, will be suspended around the perimeter of the gym, fitness center, and aerobics/dance area. An expanded child watch area will be located next to two preschool rooms.