The Duluth YMCA might not get much mileage out of its new marquee.
The local club recently installed a nice new sign for its building downtown, but the Chicago-based nonprofit announced Monday that it is changing both its logo and name to "the Y," its first branding change in 43 years.
The switch comes after more than two years of research indicated many people don't understand what the group does. Officials with the Y say they hope the new logo will be more inviting.
Angel Hohenstein, membership coordinator for the Duluth YMCA, said the local club has five years to come into compliance with the name change.
"We just found out about this," she said. "I'm sure we'll figure out a method to change, but we have some time. To tell the truth, we haven't really even discussed what to do with the new marquee yet."
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Hohenstein said many patrons don't know what the letters YMCA stand for, and most people already simply refer to it as "the Y."
The group's mission is to strengthen communities by focusing on youth
development, healthy living and social responsibility.
The new name applies to the group nationally, but individual locations will still be referred to as YMCAs. The transition already is under way and should be completed within five years at locations in more than 10,000 communities across the country.
