'What's up with the old YMCA?'

THE QUESTION

"What's up with the old YMCA? The number on the sign is never answered. Is there a contact that works better?" — Kyle N Christine Shoup, Facebook

THE ANSWER

YMCA of Florida's Emerald Coast closed all Okaloosa sites in Crestview, Destin and Fort Walton Beach Oct. 3, 2014, after it went bankrupt. The organization stated in a media release at the time that it operated in a financial deficit since 2007, when it constructed the Destin YMCA.

While area residents and former YMCA associates attempted to keep the Crestview and Fort Walton Beach YMCA doors open as independent branches, a spokesperson for the national organization said in a News Bulletin interview, "The Emerald Coast association's board of directors is the decision-making authority for the association. The board's decision to cease operations means all three branches must cease operations as YMCAs. The branches cannot continue independently."

When the Crestview YMCA abruptly closed, the Boys and Girls Club of the Emerald Coast assisted, taking over the YMCA after-school programs, but closed its Crestview program in July 2016, citing low attendance.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

Residents affected by the closures have to seek after-school care elsewhere.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'What's up with the old YMCA?'