Gaston County Family YMCA Corporate Office

	The Gaston County YMCA offers membership and programs through our five Gaston County locations!  Contact your local branch today!
The Metro Office is located at 201 South Clay Street, Gastonia, NC 28052. Click here for map.		Call us at (704) 865-8551 Or contact your local branch - Central, Stowe, South, Pharr and Cherryville!
	Fax number (704) 867-8461

The Gaston County Family YMCA Celebrates William J. Pharr Family YMCA Grand Opening

McAdenville, NC – December 1, 2008.  Christmas Town USA has officially “turned on the lights” in the newly created Pharr Family YMCA. The partnership between the Gaston County Family YMCA and the McAdenville Foundation is expected to provide families and individuals throughout the area with an opportunity to build community through spiritual, mental and physical wellness.

Pharr Yarns, LLC, one of Gaston County’s largest employers, established the McAdenville Foundation in 1945. The McAdenville Foundation constructed the McAdenville Community Center in 1949. During the Community Center’s nearly 60 years of operations, Pharr Yarns and the McAdenville Foundation have funded and guided recreational and social programs as well as the facilities serving the families of the McAdenville area.

The current McAdenville Community Center has become the Pharr Family YMCA, offering a full line of cardio and strength equipment, group exercise classes, youth and adult sports, and social activities for individuals and families in McAdenville and surrounding communities. The Community Center has undergone extensive renovations over the past several months, resulting in a newly resurfaced gym floor as well as refurbished kitchen and ballroom facilities. The Pharr Family YMCA boasts completely renovated locker rooms, a childwatch area and a significantly expanded, fully equipped fitness center. Michele Goodson, who previously managed the McAdenville Community Center, is now a YMCA Program Director and will assume daily responsibilities at this branch. Kevin Wilson, Executive Director of the R.L. Stowe, Jr. Family YMCA, will provide support and direction to the staff of the Pharr Family YMCA.

Bill Carstarphen, President, Pharr Yarns, LLC and McAdenville Foundation Board Member, said, “We are very excited about this new partnership to create a Family YMCA in McAdenville. We anticipate that this will be of great benefit to the residents of McAdenville as well as to families in communities surrounding McAdenville. The McAdenville Community Center has served residents, local church members and employees of town businesses for nearly 60 years. The Pharr Family YMCA will continue this tradition while offering many new recreational and fitness programs for the benefit of its member families. The Gaston County Family YMCA with its professional staff and Christian values is a natural partner for the McAdenville Foundation”.

Tony Sigmon, Gaston County Family YMCA CEO, stated, “The McAdenville Community Center has done a great job meeting the needs of this diverse community. We intend to work together with residents, local businesses, and employees in McAdenville to fulfill and expand the role of the Community Center to this unique community and surrounding areas through YMCA programs and services”.

The Pharr Family YMCA held a soft opening in October 2008. The public is invited to secure a charter membership in this new facility. The charter membership period runs through December 31, 2008. Charter members will receive charter membership certificates and will be recognized on signage in the Pharr Family YMCA. The community was invited to the Grand Opening Celebration on December 1st, which included the McAdenville Christmas lighting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Grand Opening activities included group exercise demonstrations, facility tours and an opportunity to meet and mingle with Pharr Family YMCA staff.

For more information on memberships or programs offered at the Pharr Family YMCA, please call 704.824.1131or visit www.gastonymca.org.

The Gaston County Family YMCA serves over 16,000 adults and 11,000 children in Gaston County each year. For 50 years, the Gaston County Family YMCAs have provided safe and caring environments, positive role models, creative activities and opportunities to serve the needs of others.  The YMCA mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

Review our 2008 Annual Report

Review our 2007 Annual Report

Star Trac Spokesman and Former World’s Strongest Man Bill “Kaz” Kazmaier wows Activate Gaston Participants with Demonstrations

Hundreds of participants watch in awe as Kazmaier effortlessly relates incredible strength to attainable wellness.

Gastonia, NC – January 14, 2008 – Three-time World’s Strongest Man title-holder and Star Trac spokesman Bill “Kaz” Kazmaier promoted the Activate Gaston kickoff at the Gaston Mall in Gastonia, North Carolina on Monday, January 14.  The event, hosted by The Gaston County Family YMCA, CaroMont Health, Gaston County Health Department, Gaston County Schools, Gaston College, The Fitness and Nutrition Council and the Gaston Community Healthcare Commission, ran from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and served as the kickoff to the free Activate Gaston community health initiative encouraging participants to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week. 

Kazmaier, a passionate and active supporter of the YMCA, regularly travels to YMCAs nationwide on behalf of Star Trac, educating children about active lifestyles and motivating them to overcome challenges in order to achieve their full potential in life and fitness.  He gave motivational pep talks throughout the day, demonstrated his extraordinary strength abilities, signed autographs, and took photographs with attendees. 

“I enjoyed meeting the residents of Gaston County and teaching the about developing lifelong health and fitness habits,” said Kazmaier. “Activate Gaston is the perfect example of a program Star Trac and I really feel passionate about supporting.  If more communities approached healthy lifestyles the way Gaston County has, we would see an overall improvement of health and wellness on a global scale.”

Activate Gaston is a free, web-based community health, fitness and weight management program for Gaston County.  Community members who missed the kickoff are invited to register online at www.activategaston.org. The first weigh in will be Friday, January 18th at all YMCA branches, the Gaston County Health Department, the main campus of Gaston College, the Bessemer City Community Center and Recreation Department, and the NC Cooperative Extension Citizen’s Resource Center. Additionally, groups and companies are invited to participate in the group/company challenge, which is basically a free corporate wellness program!  The Activate Gaston program is part of the YMCA Activate America program.  For more information about Activate Gaston, or to register your group/company please contact Taffy Allen at tallen@gastonymca.org. or 865-8551.

Star Trac is extending their position as the fastest-growing company in the commercial fitness industry to leverage knowledge and global visibility of the obesity epidemic with their Expect Different platform.  Partnering with companies and supporting programs such as Activate Gaston, Star Trac through Expect Different has made global health and fitness a priority, taking a fresh, proactive approach to make an unparalleled commitment toward improving the health and lives of people worldwide. The Gaston County Family YMCA is pleased to offer Gaston County residents the opportunity to get active on a complete line of user-focused Star Trac cardiovascular equipment including P Series upright bikes, recumbent bikes and treadmills, E Series steppers and Spinner® Pro bikes.