As of December 10, 2024, the new YMCA inside the top level of Tanglewood mall is open with the hope of impacting the surrounding community. The new branch is unique to the area due to the fact that it offers 8 indoor pickleball courts as well as a warm/hot yoga studio.

According to Tricia Reynolds, the Chief Operations Officer at YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the decision to open the new branch came from a 2019 survey that “identified that a Y would be needed asset to that part of Roanoke County.” This Y is the closest branch to Hidden Valley High School and most homes in the school zone. Matti Settle (12) is excited that the YMCA is “changing up the area and adding a bunch of new stuff.”

Along with the pickleball courts and heated yoga studio, members have access to a machine area that looks out into the mall, heavy/free weights, and various group exercise classes. Alisa Downey, the Special Education Coordinator at Hidden Valley, has just begun teaching a yoga class at the gym. Through this opportunity, she states,  “I enjoy pushing myself to try something new that I may not feel super confident in, it’s a nice reminder that we can do hard things.”

The YMCA is working to ensure that communities thrive. Reynolds states, “We are a nonprofit and our membership is based on a household sliding scale so that anyone can be a part of the Y.” Along with the positive impact of increasing access to a gym and fitness, the Y is also bringing jobs and helping to build relationships in the area.