Lucinda Florio to chair local YMCA fundraising efforts
Mayor Choi, Assemblyman Barnes to vice chair
BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer

EDISON - Fundraising efforts for the expansion of the Edison branch of the local YMCA will be chaired by former First Lady of New Jersey Lucinda Florio, who worked on two similar campaigns in the past. It was announced during a Feb. 20 press conference that Florio'sworkwill be assisted by two vice chairs, Assemblyman Peter Barnes III and Mayor Jun Choi, both residents of Edison.

"I think, at the time, we knew [the YMCA] would be great, but we had no idea how great…we are bulging at the seams, in a healthy way," said Florio.

This same bulging has led to efforts to add almost 7,000 square feet of new space to the facility,which, according to branch Executive Director CindiArchambault, will cater primarily to niche users who are currently not being accommodated as well as the YMCAwould like.

"It's all geared toward special populations, and when I say that, this is, mass fitness, masswellness,whatwe have in here is for the average person - if you're new to wellness, you've got to learn stuff; if you're a senior, somemight not be fabulous for you; if you're under 14, you're not allowed in there; if you're a woman and want to be with other women only, you can't do that in there," said Archambault.

To this end, the bulk of the proposed expansion is devoted to things such as a "tween" section on a mezzanine above the mainworkout roomfor children ages 9 to 13, a beginners' section in the main workout roomfor people newto thewhole experience, and a room for small exercise classes.

Archambault said that the proposed beginners' section, which will be through a glass partition in the main workout room, will also be ideal for senior citizens because the equipment ismeant to be as accessible as possible, without a lot of pins and changing weights. The tween section,meanwhile, will also have items that appeal to youths, such as the popular arcade game Dance Dance Revolution and bikes with video games on them.

In addition, the expansion, which Archambault said has already gone through the proper planning and zoning channels in the township,will also house some additional office space, an extra set of "dry" locker rooms (as opposed to ones used by people who have just gone swimming), an expanded child-care center, and amultipurpose roomthat can be used for meetings.

All of this will cost around $1.7 million, however,which iswhere Florio,Choi,Barnes and a host of others from around the area come in.

"I'm really honored, along with the assemblyman, to join in this partnership.…It's an opportunity to give back to the community and make a real difference," said Choi.

He went on to say how important he believes the YMCA is to people of all ages and all backgrounds in providing a respite from the normal wear and tear of the day. He advised people to "give till it hurts. The feeling that we get is returned in so many ways. … It really is a campaign that spans so many communities."

Barnes said theYMCAhas been a part of his life for a long time - it was where he learned to swim, where he would go to exercise, and where he would coach various youth sports.

"I'mvery excited and thrilled to be part of this program.…TheY board and theYMCA in general has been a preeminent organization. … We're well on our way to raise this $1.7 million," said Barnes.

Archambault said that both Choi and Barnes bring to the project unique assets that will help in acquiring the funds needed to build the expansion, and said she was happy to see the pair working together.

"Jun has a lot of info on what grants are available, like government grants that we are just not as attuned to since it's not our daily job, so he can say [to] apply to this or that. Pete's got a lot of good connections. It's all about relationship building. In the end, Jun and Pete might work as hard and do as much as some of my staff. It's all about who you know and rolling up your sleeves and doing the work, and they seem extremely willing and excited to do this," saidArchambault.

Archambault said that once the funds are collected, the building process itselfwill take about ninemonths. She said that if the funds are raised fast enough, they could be putting the first shovel into the ground as early as September 2009.