Sanford YMCA Bemidji is announced at groundbreaking ceremony

August 19, 2026

Contact:
Jillian Johnson
Media Relations Specialist –Bemidji Region
(218) 333-6090 / jillian.johnson@sanfordhealth.org

BEMIDJI, Minn. – As community leaders gather to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new YMCA in downtown Bemidji, Sanford Health is proud to announce the facility will be named the Sanford YMCA Bemidji in recognition of the health system’s $10 million philanthropic commitment to the project.

The gift is the largest contribution to the project, led by Greater Bemidji and YMCA of the Northern Sky, and reflects Sanford Health’s longstanding commitment to improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves. In recognition of the donation, the facility will bear the Sanford name.

“Today’s groundbreaking is the culmination of years of vision, persistence and partnership,” said Jason Caron, M.D., president and CEO of Sanford Bemidji. “Community leaders came together around a shared vision to restore the heart of the community and create a place where families can gather, children can play and people of all ages can stay active throughout the year.”

The Sanford YMCA Bemidji will offer affordable programs and amenities that support youth development, healthy living and social connection, creating a year-round destination for residents across the Bemidji region.

For more information about Sanford Health, visit sanfordhealth.org.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes 92 retail pharmacies, including Sanford and Lewis Drug pharmacies with locations in 6 states, and more than 300 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News. 

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