History

How Did We Get Here?

An ariel shot of the Tiftarea YMCA's Hunt Park.

Important Figures in Our History

                    Mr. Lamar Jackson

                     Mr. Butch Davis

A headshot of Lamar Jackson.
A medium shot of Butch Davis.

Talk to anybody who was around when the Tiftarea YMCA was in its infancy and you will hear the name Lamar Jackson. To give credit where credit is due, Lamar was the first to have the idea of opening a YMCA in Tifton.

Mr. Jackson was inspired while reading a crime report that reported that local teenagers had been arrested on a Friday night. “I thought it was a shame these teenagers didn’t have a place to go with Christian morals and values” Lamar stated about his desire for a YMCA in Tifton.

In 1995 he pitched his idea to the Chamber of Commerce and by 1997 he was spearheading the “Founder’s Campaign” to fund the idea.

Marked by a passion for the youth and hailed as a visionary, Lamar Jackson forever changed the Tiftarea community by bringing us our YMCA in 1998.

Lamar’s legacy continues to live on to this day as we honor him with our annual Lamar Jackson Golf Tournament and our sports fields at Hunt Park are also named after him.

The YMCA, of course, has a place in a lot of people’s hearts here in our community but none more than Butch Davis. With a background in recreation and sports coupled with a commitment to Tifton as his home, Mr. Davis jumped at the idea of helping out with the YMCA.

As he saw it, the combination of a spiritual focus coupled with a focus on the community’s youth was an endeavor that he needed to be a part of and was a very active part of until his passing.

Butch was such a big part of who we are here at the Tiftarea YMCA that we now annually hold the Butch Davis Dinner in his honor. This event also functions as a fundraising event for us, and as a result Butch’s impact and legacy lives on and continues to grow.

Over the Years: Past and Present

             Flag Football                               T-Ball                                       Pool

Kid throwing football during flag football game as teammates watch at Hunt Park.
Cindy Spurlin T-Ball team photo in 2006.
The splash pad at the Tiftarea YMCA.
Flag Football at the Tiftarea YMCA in 2014.
A child runs toward first base during a t-ball game at the Tiftarea YMCA fields at Hunt Park.
A couple of kids playing on the splash pad the Tiftarea YMCA.

             Airnasium                        Father-Daughter Dance                 Tour De Tifton    

2 people skate at the Tiftarea YMCA's skatepark.
Tiftarea YMCA Father-Daughter Dance.
Several bikers posing for a photo in front of a Tiftarea YMCA sign.
Several people playing pickleball at the Tiftarea YMCA.
A little girl dances with her father at the Tiftarea YMCA's Father-Daughter Dance in 2023.
5 bikers smiling at the camera at the Tour de Tifton 2023.

       Polar Bear Plunge                           Y Christmas                          Learn to Swim

Darian Peavy at the 2018 Tiftarea YMCA Polar Bear Plunge.
2012 Tiftarea YMCA Christmas.
Tiftarea YMCA Learn to Swim 2017.
David Pollack at the Tiftarea YMCA's Polar Bear Plunge 2024.
Tiftarea YMCA Y Christmas 2023.
Tiftarea YMCA Learn to Swim 2023.

Summer Camp

Aerobics

Tiftarea YMCA summer camp in 2017.
Aerobics class at the Tiftarea YMCA.
Chick-Fil-A cow with kids at the Tiftarea YMCA summer camp.
Nicki Jones leading an aerobics class at the Tiftarea YMCA.

Important Steps Forward

Wasdon Graydon, Glen Willis, Dale McGriff, and Butch Davis.
Dale Pflug, Frank Sayles, Robert Massey, Hal Harper Jr., Kevin Angell.

Early Years

Before the Tiftarea YMCA is what you have come to know it as today, there was a lot of work being done to make what we now have a reality. The Founders campaign, led by Mr. Lamar Jackson, was a focal point at this time. 

What may be lost on Tiftarea YMCA members today is that at one time we had no facilities to call home. The YMCA started off with a group of people, some of which are shown in the pictures to your left, raising money and support. 

Eventually we would get our first offices at what is now the Tifton Chamber of Commerce building. At this time, a couple of highlights include when we offered roller hockey in old warehouses, yoga in several different locations, as well as flag football at local elementary schools.

Former Tiftarea YMCA CEO Kevin Angell noted at the time that around 600 people were already participating in the programs that the YMCA did offer before we even had a gym or pool.

John Hunt’s Donation

Mr. John Hunt donated 18.3 acres of land off of Carpenter and Westover Roads in 2002. 

Mr. Hunt was a very distinguished individual in the State of Georgia but especially in Tifton where he really left his mark. The donation of the land that would eventually be the home of the Stafford Aquatic Center, the YMCA sports fields, and the airnasium is yet another chapter in the legacy of an amazing life of service to the community around him.

Mr. John Hunt.

1st Father-Daughter Dance

In February of 2002, the YMCA held its first annual Father-Daughter Dance. This is a very special event to a lot of people and has been an important part of the YMCA’s goal to influence the community in a positive way since the very beginning.

The Tiftarea YMCA's Father-Daughter Dance 2023.
CEO Kevin Angell at the dedication of the Tiftarea YMCA's Stafford Aquatic Center in 2003.

Grand Opening: Stafford Aquatic Center

On the left is former Tiftarea YMCA CEO Kevin Angell pictured at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Stafford Aquatic Center (Tiftarea YMCA pools) on December 2, 2003. The facility later opened to the public on January 1st, 2004.

The vision that Lamar Jackson had back in the middle of the 90’s had now taken a big step forward. The Tiftarea YMCA now had its own place for members and the community alike to come and participate.

A few weeks later the Tiftarea YMCA offices moved to Hunt Park to be in the same area as the new aquatic center.

YMCA Holds 1st Tour De Tifton

The Tour De Tifton is a charity event and a highlight here in the Tiftarea community started back in March of 2010. 

Sam Wright at the Tiftarea YMCA's 2024 Polar Bear Plunge.

1st Polar Bear Plunge

First held in 2012, the Polar Bear Plunge is an annual charity event held by the Tiftarea YMCA in which contestants compete against one another to raise the most money for their respective organizations. The catch is that the contestants have to slide into a freezing cold pool to collect the donation for their organization.

Carpenter Road Gym Facility Opens

The gym facility which members now enjoy had its grand opening on August 28th, 2013.

The Tiftarea YMCA's grand opening of its new facility in 2013.
The grand opening of the outdoor track at the Tiftarea YMCA.

The Outdoor Track Opens

On August 26th, 2015 our outdoor track was complete and ready for our members to utilize on their fitness journey. 

Learn to Swim Program Starts

In 2017, we launched our Learn to Swim Program, a program that can have a life-changing impact on a child’s life.

A child with a lifeguard at the Learn to Swim program at the Tiftarea YMCA.

Celebration of 25 Years

On May the 25th, 2023 we celebrated 25 years of the YMCA here in Tifton. We now look forward to the next 25 years of serving our community here in Tifton as a place where all can come and build a healthy body, mind, and spirit!
25 Year Celebration at the Tiftarea YMCA.

Pickleball Courts Open

In 2023, we opened our state-of-the-art pickleball facilities. Pickleball is really an example of what we are all about here at the YMCA: community.

3 Themes Across Our History

If you spend time digging into our history or if you have been around us for any period of time, you know that these 3 themes mark the legacy of the Tiftarea YMCA.

Community

Christian Principles

Youth Development