(Image provided, Duneland Family YMCA)
In Chesterton, the Duneland Family YMCA says it recently hosted a breakfast that not only provided progress updates but also a major announcement supporting the future of the Duneland YMCA Healthy Living Campus (YHLC) on West Morgan Avenue. A news release says the Y remains on track to break ground by the end of this year on the new building portion of the project in downtown Chesterton, and it will include a new gymnasium featuring state-of-the-art basketball courts as well as a new entryway and lobby. Board President Jeff Berglund said this final phase is anticipated to reach completion in January 2028.
Also during the event, the announcement of a $1 million gift from Chesterton-based employee-owned Urschel Laboratories, providing a significant boost in the campaign’s final stretch, the Duneland YMCA said. “Philanthropy continues to be part of the Urschel culture. Urschel continues to support local communities where our employees work and live. For our company’s part, we will be donating funds toward the construction of the new gym area,” said Dan Marchetti, CFO of Urschel.
The community breakfast opened with a look back at the Duneland YMCA’s legacy, as Board Member Jim Trout led attendees through a trip down memory lane in recognition of the organization’s 60th anniversary in the community. As the Duneland community has grown over the last six decades, so too have the needs of its residents—needs that the Duneland YMCA says Dave Kasarda, Duneland Family YMCA CEO, identified years ago, helping spark early visioning and planning for what would become the YHLC project.
The morning concluded with a surprise recognition honoring Kasarda for 40 years of service to the YMCA, both locally now in Duneland and across other Indiana communities in years prior. “Forty years is a long time, but this recognition isn’t really about me—it’s about the mission we’ve all been called to carry forward,” said Kasarda. “The YMCA has always been at its best when it opens its doors wide, making sure every child, every family, every senior has a place to belong—regardless of their ability to pay. I’ve simply had the privilege of being part of that work, alongside so many others who believe that opportunity should never be limited by circumstance.”
For more information visit www.dunelandymca.org/dunelandyhlc/ .
