By Uncle Irvin

Sometimes, lost in the commercial growth of the Jennersville area, is the Jennersville Branch of the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley.

When this Y branch was built around 20 c., years ago, there was a question whether southern Chester County could financially support it. This Y was built largely on the generosity of John H Ware, III, and James Herr.

The Jennersville Y was built to serve 5,000 members, and now it has 12,500 and needs to expand. More than 125 individual and business contributions will fund the $3.5 million expansion, a 20% increase. Consistent with the generosity of her father, Carol E Ware and her foundation, along with Mandy Cabot and Peter Kjellerup (Dansko), and Tom Smithson and his siblings, were the major donors.

The YMCA of Chester County is now a very big part of the cultural, educational and fitness needs of Chester County as it has grown. The new space, 13,500 square feet, will include a new center for arts and recreation, an enrichment studio and a state of the art wellness center and more.