The YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina has been serving communities across Southeastern North Carolina for more than 135 years. Founded in 1887, our YMCA is the oldest association in the state of North Carolina. To celebrate our 135th anniversary, we are holding a 135 Challenge, collecting Y stories and sharing our rich history with the community.
135 ChallengeHelp us celebrate our 135-year anniversary by working out 135 minutes each week over the next 8 weeks. Track your exercise using our YMCA App and be entered to win prizes for each week you reach 135 minutes of activity. Run, bike, swim, play — any kind of physical activity can be added toward your goal! Each week you reach 135 minutes of activity, we will enter you into a weekly drawing for prizes as well as a $135 cash prize that will be announced at the end of the 8-week challenge. The more weeks you reach 135 minutes of exercise, the more chances you have to win!
BONUS: Every participant who joins our 135 Challenge will receive a free 2-Week Guest Pass to use at any YMCA of Southeastern NC branch! Already a Y Member? Give your Guest Pass to a friend or workout buddy. At the Y, there are a number of ways to stay healthy, active and connected. From group exercise classes to basketball or swimming, the Y has something for everyone's interest.
When: July 4 - August 28
Cost: Free!
Though meetings date back to the 1870s, the YMCA of Wilmington Association was officially chartered in 1887, as the first YMCA Association in the state of North Carolina.
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More than three thousand people came out to the laying of the corner-stone of the new Y.M.C.A. building on Front and Grace streets. The handsome four-story building included dormitories, meeting rooms, a gymnasium, lecture hall and music hall, welcoming many visitors to Wilmington, NC.
Directors of the YMCA closed on a property for a new building on the northeast corner of Third and Market streets. The building had five stories with dormitories, a gymnasium, lecture halls, meeting rooms and later a pool.
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A new family-type YMCA building is constructed at 2710 Market Street. The new two-story functional YMCA contained a gymnasium, swimming pool, lockers, kitchen, snack bar, administrative offices, meeting rooms, handball courts, massage and steam rooms and other facilities to make it one of the most modern YMCA buildings in the state.
The YMCA of Southeastern NC formed a partnership with the Friends of Camp Kirkwood to take over the camp’s operation to revitalize its mission of serving youth. The YMCA and Friends of Camp Kirkwood have been successful in raising funds to expand camp offerings and serve more than 400 day campers and 500 overnight campers yearly.
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An accidental fire that took place in the men’s sauna forced the Wilmington Family YMCA to temporarily close its doors. More than 7,000 Y members and 10,000 program participants were temporarily displaced as the YMCA looked to community partners to help house its programs and services.
Due to the magnitude of the repair work needed to reopen the facility at 2710 Market St., the YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina (formerly known as the Wilmington Family YMCA) opened an Express Y location off Market St. and Kerr Ave. to temporarily house its wellness programs.
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The YMCA of Southeastern NC opened its Midtown YMCA at 709 George Anderson Dr. This new branch came about through a partnership with Temple Baptist Church to operate their activity center as a YMCA. The building includes a gymnasium, classrooms, athletic fields, and kitchen and is our largest youth-serving branch today.
After being closed for three years, the YMCA of Southeastern NC celebrated the grand opening of its renovated Nir Family YMCA at 2710 Market Street. The $9.8 million renovated facility includes state-of-the-art wellness areas, group exercise studios, indoor lap and family pools, racquetball courts, playing fields, a gymnasium, a teaching kitchen and a designated youth wing for child and teen programs.
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The YMCA of Southeastern NC celebrated the grand opening of the Sampson County YMCA in Clinton, NC. The newest YMCA facility was made possible through a partnership with Sampson Regional Medical Center and Anonymous Trust. The newest YMCA branch includes a wellness floor, gymnasium, racquetball court, indoor pool, group exercise studio, child watch area, locker rooms, classroom and kitchen.
