Climbing wall placed for Talbot YMCA teen center

EASTON The YMCA is getting ready to take youth development to new heights with its teen center and it literally did so with the recent addition of a 32-foot climbing wall to its grounds.

Made by Enterprises, the new rock wall left Oregon state July 10 by two flatbeds and arrived at the YMCA on Thursday. The organization’s new teen center will be built around the structure, with a glass wall to the front of the YMCA facing the parking lot.

“(The wall) is so big, there would be no other way to get it inside the building, so we had to put it in first,”

said Robbie Gill, CEO of the Talbot County YMCA in Easton

“It’s great it’s another thing for teens to be involved with.”

The teen center, which is slated to open in December, will also feature a fireplace, a kitchen to teach healthy nutrition and offer cooking classes to teens and families, a computer lab, video and audio studios, shuffle board, the Gooch (the YMCA’s family play center), an exercise room and a multi-purpose room, along with plenty of areas for socializing and enjoying complimentary Wi-Fi.

In addition to be a place for the teens to hang out, the YMCA is anticipating that older adults will use the center in the mornings before school lets out. The YMCA frequently has between 30 to 100 pre-teens and teens at the facility when the school day ends.

The YMCA needs to raise about $5 million for the center. Currently, Gill said the organization has raised a little over $4.1 million. To donate to the teen center, contact Graham Lee at 410-822-0566.