Charles Benson Bear '39 Recreation and Athletic Center

The Newton YMCA provides many services in the areas of team sports, health improvement and other activities. The Newton branch was created in 1927. Six years after Mary Frances Skiff Memorial Hospital opened, a $40,000 debt hung over the hospital, largely due to unpaid donations from the original fund drive. F.L. Maytag, founder of the Maytag Company and a supporter of the hospital, agreed to a personal pledge of $250,000 to build a YMCA if Newton residents would pay the pledged funds for the hospital s debt. The Newton Chamber of Commerce gathered to form a 30-member committee. It raised $54,191 in a week to allow the Mary Frances Skiff Memorial Hospital to be debt-free, and Newton s YMCA was subsequently built. The Newton YMCA continues more than 70 years later. Officially known as the Young Men's Christian Association, the YMCA has been apart of the community in several ways. Services such as gymnasium and weight lifting equipment are available to Newton residents. The YMCA is also a major organizer of youth and adult athletics in the community.

The Knoxville Recreation Center, a part of the Knoxville Recreation Department, is an amusement facility that offers several social and entertainment opportunities for children, youths and adults. Its facilities feature a six-lane, more than 25-meter indoor swimming pool, as well as sauna, whirlpool, gymnasium, racquetball court, and cycling, exercise and game rooms. The Knoxville Recreation Center provides a karate program that focuses on posture improvement, coordination, and the development of flexibility and self-discipline and self-confidence skills for children above the age of 6. It also offers instructional lessons for tennis, flag football and soccer. Additionally, the facility provides net, frisbees, volleyballs, softballs, bats, croquet sets, and soccer and kick balls. The Knoxville Recreation Center is located in Knoxville, Iowa.

The Fourmile Community Recreation Center in Des Moines, Iowa, is a vibrant facility designed to serve the local community by providing a variety of recreational amenities. This center features a gymnasium, weight room, cardio equipment, a computer lab, and versatile multi-purpose rooms, catering to diverse recreational needs. In addition to its indoor facilities, the center also boasts a skate park, playground, and adjacent green space, promoting outdoor activities for families and individuals. The center aims to foster community engagement through various programs and leisure sports, making it a cornerstone for local residents seeking physical activity and social interaction. Generated from the website