Dallas YMCA Gets Boost from Oil Tycoon

DALLAS -- T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oilman-turned-wind-power-advocate, was on hand Thursday to dedicate the newly renovated T. Boone Pickens YMCA in Dallas.

Pickens donated $5 million toward the renovation project, which benefits the downtown club's 4,100 members.

Pickens attended YMCA summer camps as a child and later joined several Ys across the country as an adult, he told The Dallas Morning News.

“I'm 81 years old, and I've always been generous with my money. They approached me, and I decided to give. I love the YMCA,” Pickens told the newspaper.

Upgrades to the Y include:

• A 10,000-square-foot cardio and weight center

• A renovated yoga and Pilates room

• Updated locker rooms and an expanded child watch area

• Open view floor plans surrounded by windows for natural lighting

• An upgraded Wi-Fi network area

• New racquetball and basketball courts