SARASOTA – “The place was like a morgue. People were mourning,” said Lucia Barrett.
Barrett has been a member of the Evalyn Sadlier Jones Branch on Potter Park for nearly 12 years. She says she and other members were shocked to hear the news.
“This was totally unfair, and gave us little notice to make plans for the future especially for people whose livelihoods depend on this Y,” said Barrett.
Dorothy “Dolly” Chernus is one of the members who rely on the YMCA for health reasons. At 91-years-old she credits her good health to staff at the Y and the classes they offer.
“It was like a cornucopia of possibilities,” said Dolly.
Dolly says she inadvertently became a role model in her classes because the Y motivated her to do better. “It became part of your lifestyle, it was a reason to get up in the morning and workout. I have benefited in every way,” she said.
Jim Becherer has organized a group alongside Barrett to find someone to save the facility as it has become a staple of the community. “This is not just a health club,” said Becherer. “So I don’t know of any other facility near us that has all of the things that this Y has.”
For now these members and thousands more like them are left with more questions than answers.
