For six decades and through several renovations and additions, the Dan McKinney Family YMCA has lived up to its "family" name.
The organization is celebrating 60 years in operation at 8355 Cliffridge Ave. in La Jolla.
The center, founded in 1964 as the Northwest YMCA through a partnership of the La Jolla Optimists, Dutch Smith Pool Association and La Jolla Youth Inc., started as a way to house a pool that was seen as deeply needed. The facility later became the La Jolla YMCA.
A few years before the opening, the city of San Diego developed the nearby youth baseball field, said Vince Glorioso, executive director of the Dan McKinney Family YMCA. "During that process, a group of volunteers was looking to build a pool nearby," he said. "They thought about getting the YMCA involved. So what was built and opened in 1964 was a pool, youth center and administrative offices."
Even that simple plan had the concept of family at its roots.
"Back in the 1960s, my grandfather Claude Ford was very involved in the La Jolla community," said McKinney YMCA board member Theresa Harrison. "He was on the Town Council and worked with the Soroptimist and Kiwanis clubs. He spearheaded the campaign to bring the Y to La Jolla.
"Back then, the Red Cross ran backyard swim lessons and my grandfather watched my mom work as an instructor and she would take us to different homes to learn how to swim. He saw there was a huge need for a public pool."
When opening day arrived in 1964, "I don't remember the ribbon cutting or the cake because we were already in the pool," Harrison said with a laugh. "Swimming took over my life."
With the pool being heavily used, additions and renovations soon followed, Glorioso said. The facility quickly expanded with tennis courts and a gymnasium, locker rooms, a fitness center and racquetball courts. From there, child care was brought in and other small projects were completed.
"That area was underdeveloped in the 1960s, and as it grew and changed, so the needs changed," Glorioso said. "The child care area and youth programming became more important. So we added family programming with outings and campouts and local events that were really well-received."
One of the programs was a bus that would pick up children from other areas of San Diego and take them to La Jolla to participate in the YMCA.
Harrison's first job was as a bus attendant on the route, making sure the children had membership cards, the 50-cent bus fare and the items they needed, such as swimsuits. She also would drop them off, make sure they didn't leave anything on the bus and got home safely.
As new fitness and cultural trends arrived, they often were offered at the YMCA. Space-themed play equipment followed the first moon landing, and "the person that developed Jazzercise was an instructor at the YMCA," Glorioso said.
Programming remained stable at the center until about 10 years ago, when planning began on a $21 million renovation and expansion.
The revamp was in four phases starting in September 2015. The facility adopted the Dan McKinney Family name after McKinney, a longtime La Jolla resident and beverage distributor who died in 2016, donated $5 million to the project.
The renovation added 25,000 square feet to the structure, which now measures 59,000 square feet. Full construction took place in 2016-17 and the ribbon was cut on the expanded facility in January 2018.
When it reopened, "there was a sense that it was a community space," Glorioso said. "When you walk in, there is an area down the middle of the facility. There are social spaces, member lounges, couches on a courtyard. It is about forming connections within the community."
Like with many other things, the COVID-19 pandemic put those social interactions on pause. But it didn't stop the family atmosphere.
"In 2020, the board decided to make sure its older members were OK and would check in on seniors that were in isolation during the pandemic," Harrison said. "It reminded them that we are still a family."
Going forward, and especially following the pandemic, the center's programming is focused on physical, emotional and mental well-being.
"We have positive youth development programs that look at how to communicate, expand their interests and address mental health," Glorioso said. "Teen programming and increasing that in terms of service and leadership has been a focus of ours. ... We are also looking at youth enrichment and are talking to local schools about what programming we could be providing.
"We also have Livestrong programs for those undergoing cancer treatment so there is a sense of togetherness socially and physically. We also have a similar program with veterans. We want to continue to do a lot of the same things we are known for."
By the 1980s, Harrison and her family had moved away from La Jolla, but in honor of her grandfather, they continued to belong to YMCAs.
"My grandfather put so much time and energy to the Y, so it only seems right our family does the same," Harrison said. "Even when I lived in Northern California, I would come to the YMCA down here when I came to visit. I got to watch the evolution of this place, and I just think it has been fun to be involved."
Her own children and grandchildren all went or go to the YMCA day camp and took swimming lessons there. Her nieces and great-nieces were counselors at the day camp.
"It's amazing to see how we are all still connected," Harrison said. "I don't think [my grandfather] could have anticipated that his great-great-grandchildren would be as involved as they are."