Community Foundation commits $550,000 to Regional Wellness Center project

A $550,000 pledge from the Dubois County Community Foundation gives Jasper’s Regional Wellness Center two things the project needs most: more construction money now and a permanent source of support later.

The package includes a $300,000 grant to the Tri-County YMCA and a $250,000 endowment that will benefit the City of Jasper. The foundation said the endowment is designed to generate annual funding for upkeep, maintenance and programming, which matters for a facility that will need steady support long after it opens.

The $300,000 grant was made possible by a $750,000 Community Support Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through GIFT IX, the ninth phase of Lilly Endowment’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow initiative. The foundation framed the commitment as part of a broader effort to expand access to physical health resources, mental well-being support and overall quality of life in Dubois County and the surrounding region.

The wellness center is planned as a regional destination, not a single-purpose gym. The Tri-County YMCA will operate the facility, which is expected to include group fitness classes, personal training, youth sports, family-friendly activities, pickleball, basketball, an indoor walking track and a community kitchen. The project is also intended to serve an eight-county region, giving the center a reach well beyond Jasper.

The project has been moving toward construction for years. The City of Jasper and Tri-County YMCA first announced plans in September 2023 for an indoor recreation, wellness and aquatic facility near 15th and Bartley streets. Later plans placed the facility at 900 W. 15th St., near The Parklands and Jasper High School property, with a footprint described as about 70,000 square feet. A groundbreaking was scheduled for April 17, 2026, and completion is anticipated in late 2027.

The foundation’s commitment also comes on top of other major financing already assembled for the project. The effort had raised $14.1 million in private donations from more than 90 donors and received a $5 million READI 2.0 grant, underscoring that the wellness center is still being built through a mix of public, private and philanthropic dollars.

Jasper Mayor Ryan Craig called the effort a “unique partnership” and said the community is “building a healthier future” for Jasper and the region. Former Mayor Dean Vonderheide was credited with helping build support for the project, while Tri-County YMCA CEO Mike Steffe has continued to advance it with a 2025 impact report and phase-one floor plans.

The new pledge does not finish the job, but it shifts the project from a promising plan toward a facility that can be built and sustained for the long term.