Councilmember Traci Park was one of the speakers at the announcement of the proposed YMCA rebuild today in Simon Meadow.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
The Palisades-Malibu YMCA was more than the town’s only gym, it was the place where neighbors shared classes and stories or just met to talk. Executive Director Jim Kirtley opened up the facility to teens on evenings during the summer, so they had a place to socialize and work out.
“It’s such an important part of the community,” said Allison Burmeister a long-time yoga instructor at the Y. From activities, such as the pumpkin patch to Ho!Ho!Ho! she said, “the Y is so much more than just a place to exercise.”
Today at a ceremony at Simon Meadow, Victor Dominguez, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, announced the kick-off of a $25 million campaign to rebuild the Y on Via de la Paz and to expand in Simon Meadow. “We are coming back stronger,” he said.
“As the Center for Community Well-Being with 28 centers across the L.A. region, we have always been a place where everyone belongs,” he said. “Now we can ensure that the Palisades community members will once again be able to gather at their local Y.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath pledged $10 million toward rebuilding the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, which was destroyed in the fire. She said, “This is an investment and a commitment to rebuilding. A community is not just about homes; it’s a place we can grow relationships.”
The Lowe family donated $7 million and the new building on Via de la Paz will be called the Lowe Family YMCA, and the building on Simon Meadow will be part of that combined campus.
Bob and Beth Lowe join Palisades YMCA Executive Director Jim Kirtley (center) for the announcment of a major donation to the Y.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
“The Palisades-Malibu YMCA has been an important part of our family for three generations,” said LA Y Board Member, business leader and Palisades resident Bob Lowe. “We are so pleased that the Lowe family can help ensure that the Y will be able to serve the Palisades families now and for generations in the future.”
One of the most touching memories of the day came when Beth Lowe spoke about how her kids played basketball at the Y when they were in first grade and second grade. She said her son, Rob a first grader, did not have the “polish” of the second graders. As she was sitting next to a friend, a second grader came running down the court. “He stopped midcourt in the middle of the game to tell his mom, who was sitting by me, ‘Rob just scored a basket.’”
Her story brought home the idea that Y is about families, and the competitions are more than just winning or losing but cheering opponents and developing character.
Wendy Gruel, a former City Controller and a member of the YMCA Board of Directors served as the emcee, first bringing to the dais, Taylor Beljon-Regen.
Taylor Beljon-Regen spoke about how imortant the Y was for her growing up.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
The Harvard-bound freshman spoke about her memories of the Ho!Ho!Ho! in Simon Meadow when she was younger. Beljon-Regen emphasized the value of the Youth and Government program sponsored by the Y and how after the fire so many involved in the program went to different areas, but they still managed to meet. “This is more than restoring a building, this is about the ability to connect and belong,” she said.
L.A. Mayor Bass said, “Rebuilding the Palisades is about more than just getting families home – it’s about restoring the community spaces and local institutions that make up the heart of the community – and building them back.”
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin added that after the fire, “in my heart, I wondered how can this town ever recover?”
She said about the event, “this is truly inspiring. The Y has become a lifeline for the community and a beacon of hope.”
City Councilmember Traci Park said, “The Y is just not a building, it is the heartbeat of the community.”
Kirtley said, “We’re here to celebrate what’s ahead of us.” He then invited the nearly 100 people to brunch at tables in the meadow. Honorary Sheriff Sam Lagana (also the stadium voice of the Rams) emceed a second program of speakers while people enjoyed their food in the lovely picnic setting in the meadow.
There are no architectural renderings of either the Via campus or on Simon Meadow. CTN was told the Via drawings could be done in the next three months, and the plans for Simon Meadow will probably be done in the next six months. Both sets of plans, as well as a way to donate to the Y Campaign will be shared with readers once they are available.
Tracey Price, the Palisades-Malibu Y Board President remembered taking her first swimming lesson in the pool, when she was two.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTIN
This is such great news, being a member of the Palisades Y was an affordable gym not just for working out and yoga classes, it’s where I met many friends in the community.
They always did great deeds like collecting food for people in need.
Thank you to Bob and Beth Lowe and All that made this possible! Love, caring & community will bring the Palisades back!