Corinne Johnson

My family is one of the young ones referenced by other members, and when we moved to New Canaan two and a half years ago I was thrilled to learn about the breadth of offerings provided by the YMCA, in particular the robust aquatics program, which was the reason we initially joined. My daughter is currently enrolled in Rainbow Station, we plan to enroll our second (due in August) next year, and we frequently discuss how grateful we are to have a community organization full of neighbors and close to home where we can raise our young children.

The aquatics program is core to the vision we have for our family's long-term interaction with the YMCA and the value we anticipate deriving from our membership. I am a lifelong swimmer, and I hope that my kids will find the same joy and community that swimming has provided me over the years — be that through the swim or dive lessons and teams, high school programs, or American Red Cross lifeguard certifications. Gutting the aquatic facilities puts all of that at risk, and is therefore highly likely to affect our membership and YMCA participation long-term.

With that said, I am most troubled by the manner in which this process has been conducted. We cannot know the trade-offs you as YMCA leadership are considering in this decision, and perhaps they are significant — but if that is the case, we as members should be included in the discussion. More than anything, this lack of respect for member input, which runs counter to the mission of the YMCA, will force my family to reconsider the value we derive from the organization.

I urge the Board to pause consideration of demolishing the Valles Pool and instead pursue a transparent, member-focused process for making this decision.