PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLIANT ENERGY — Volunteers Pat Beurskens, left, and Troy Tuttle of Alliant Energy are shown cleaning mats outside the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA’s Horne-Henry Center during the Y’s annual deep clean event recently.

Staff and volunteers at the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA’s take “deep” cleaning, melded with maintenance, seriously.

Beginning Aug. 7, staff, vendors, and Alliant Energy Co. volunteers used cleansers, elbow grease, paint, power tools and more to get the 125,000 square foot Horne-Henry Center spic and span.

All is necessary, as the Y hosts thousands of visitors annually, ranging from its many members to the public.

The annual cleaning and maintenance event has been scheduled for several days in August for many years, said Andrew Potter of Marshalltown, the Y’s Marketing and Communication Director during a tour of the facility Thursday.

“The staff takes a great deal of pride in providing a clean and efficient health and wellness facility,” he said. “Our members understand why this is necessary.”

Volunteer Franky Ramirez of Alliant Energy is shown cleaning a window at the Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA during its annual deep clean event recently.

Potter said Aug.10 would be the last of a several day effort to thoroughly clean and update maintenance on two fitness studios, several gymnasium floors, two swimming pools, locker rooms, saunas, and weight-machines.

Potter said staff were “thrilled” to have approximately 10 volunteers from Alliant Energy come to help. They painted, cleaned, and did many other tasks.

“The Alliant volunteers gave us renewed energy,” Potter said. “We appreciated their hard work.”

Alliant Energy is one of several local and area corporations which aid the Y’s mission of supporting youth development and healthy families.

Tariq Martin of Marshalltown, Facility and Property Director, said the recreation pool and other equipment in that area which serves thousands annually had been “deep cleaned” and covered with a fresh coat of paint. Nearby, Y employee Amiaha Weatherly wore a mask while using a power tool to remove stains from a recreation pool stairway. Activities scheduled for the recreation pool have been moved to the lap pool until the recreation pool is ready.

Aquatic Director Shelly Lechnir and Family Sports Director Brad Haagsma said they were pleased with the cleaning and maintenance efforts and were looking forward to serving members again.

On Aug.11, the Horne-Henry building, and lap pool will re-open, Potter said, while the gym and fitness studios are closed. Those will re-open Aug. 14.

The Marshalltown YMCA-YWCA has been a not-for-profit organization with a strong presence in Marshalltown since 1876. It has been in numerous locations ranging from a building near the railroad yards to downtown. It opened the Horne-Henry Center, a state-of-the-art health and wellness facility at 108 Washington St. in January 2004. For updates on the Y’s annual “deep” clean and maintenance project, visit www.ymca-ywca/annual-shut-down. For additional Y information, telephone 641-752-8658 or visit www.ymca-ywca.org.