Lakin Family Park
[Council Bluffs, Iowa] – The Charles E. Lakin YMCA will be celebrating the grand opening of the Lakin Family Park on Wednesday, June 15th at 10:00 am. The Lakin Family Park is connected to the existing YMCA facility and is a beautiful public space that will be used by both YMCA members and the general community as a place of gathering and recreation during YMCA operational hours.
The park project includes a covered pavilion, sport courts, walking path, green space, play features and additional parking. “The Lakin Family Park will be a place where people of all ages and backgrounds come together,” said Leo McIntosh, Vice President of Iowa Operations for the YMCA of Greater Omaha. “I can see kids running through the park while their parents and grandparents walk the path or connect under the shade of the pavilion.”
The Lakin Family Park will host traditional YMCA programming like outdoor fitness classes, sport practices and summer day camp activities while also encouraging the community to enjoy a game of pick-up basketball or have fun on the play features.
“We are so grateful for the lead gifts from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and the Iowa West Foundation,” said Rebecca Deterding, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Omaha. “Their generosity launched this project before the pandemic and inspired several other donors and community leaders to get involved. The Charles E. Lakin YMCA opened in 2017, and since then there has been a need for outdoor space to better serve our Council Bluffs community.”
The Charles E. Lakin YMCA is hosting a free summer series at the Lakin Family Park. These events are open to all, regardless of YMCA membership. The first event is an outdoor movie, The Sandlot, on Saturday, June 18th at 8:30 pm. The community is encouraged to bring a lawn chair and snacks. For a full listing of the Summer Series events, please visit the website, metroymca.org/locations/charles-e-lakin-ymca.
Questions or Media Requests: Jodi Cramer, Director of Marketing: jcramer@metroymca.org