The Oneonta Family YMCA’s new Specialty Fitness Center at Bassett Healthcare Network’s Fox Care Center hosted an open house Friday, July 14, and welcomes nonmembers to participate in the fitness classes for free during the remainder of the month.
Frank Russo, Oneonta Family YMCA executive director, said Tuesday, July 11 that he encourages the public to visit the facility at 1 Foxcare Drive, the former FoxCare Fitness, “so everyone can come and check out what’s going on.”
“We are happy we have kept the site open without interruption,” Russo said via email, “and there is a very positive buzz of energy and activity right now.”
Bassett and A.O. Fox Hospital announced in April that they reached an agreement with the YMCA to keep FoxCare Fitness open, after Bassett announced in February its intention to close the facility.
Bassett began leasing the facility to the YMCA on June 6. Its new name is Y Specialty Fitness.
Bassett spokesperson Gabrielle Argo said that former FoxCare Fitness members were reimbursed for unused sessions before the transition date at the end of May.
Nearly all of the FoxCare Fitness employees are now employed at the facility at the Y Specialty Fitness, she said.
FoxCare Fitness “had great and highly trained staff in place,” Russo said, “and we continue to provide the quality services the members are accustom [to] with many of the same familiar faces the members were used to seeing.”
Y Specialty Fitness added a new personal trainer, lifeguards, fitness classes and pool hours, as well as virtual options. Russo said that during the June, the gym drew 3,578 visits.
“We are very appreciative of Bassett and A.O. Fox,” Russo said. “We both have community wellness in mind. They are partners in this, too.”
Membership is separate from Oneonta Family YMCA membership. Current YMCA members would need to sign up for a Y Specialty Fitness membership to use the facility.
Membership is $51 monthly or $540 annually, paid in full for adults, $35 monthly or $350 annually for young adults, $88 monthly or $894 annually for couples and $26 monthly or $270 annually for teens. Short-term membership options are available, including guest passes and drop-in class visits.
Lisetta Coffin, a member of the Save FoxCare Fitness steering committee, said it took a “groundswell of support” to keep the gym open to the community.
It’s a place where people can go from rehabilitation to continue on their health journey, she said, and that it makes for “an integral part of community.”
“It’s exciting with the changes and I’m looking forward to future growth,” she said.
Fitness coach Kevin Larmon stayed on as an employee from when the gym operated as FoxCare Fitness.
“It’s kind of been an amazing thing,” Larmon said. “There’s a lot of liveliness with the gym, which has been through a couple of years of being very slow, and it really feels like it’s coming back to life.”
He said that many people “invested so much time and energy to make this happen.”
“It’s a wonderful place,” he said.
If you go
All fitness classes are free to nonmembers for the remainder of this month.
Classes offered include:
• Aqua Aerobics, in warm therapy or lap pool: 9:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• Beat Boxing Fitness: 5:45 p.m. Tuesday
• Chair Yoga: 3:45 p.m. Wednesday
• Gentle Yoga: 5 p.m. Wednesday
• Gentle Stretch: 11 a.m. Monday and Thursday
• HIIT the Ground Running: 6 a.m. Tuesday
• Spinning: 4:45 p.m. Tuesday beginning July 18 and 5:30 p.m. Thursday beginning July 20
• Stability Ball and more: 9 a.m. Saturday
• Strength Training with Joe: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday
• Timeless Classics: noon Friday
Hours are 5:30 a.m. 7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, call 607-431-5454 or email YSF welcome@oneontaymca.org.
