09/04/2026
๐๐ก๐ โ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌโ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐
When the Butler-Gast YMCA opened in 1995, it was named in honor of John Butler and Carol Gast, a longtime North High coach, and their work creating opportunities for Black youth.
As a new Butler-Gast YMCA prepares to serve the next generation of North Omaha next year, weโre looking back at the Butler behind the name.
For more than 40 years, John R. Butler dedicated himself to the YMCA.
During World War II, he led a recreation facility serving Black servicemen and later became one of the strongest advocates for establishing a YMCA in North Omaha.
In 1945, Butler became the first executive director of the Near North Side YMCA. Six years later, its permanent home opened at 22nd and Willis Streetsโthe first Omaha YMCA branch outside of downtown.
Under Butlerโs leadership, the Y became a place for recreation, mentorship, opportunity and community.
Among the young people he invested in was future Omaha basketball great, Olympic gold medalist and NBA player Bob Boozer, who spent so much time practicing at the Y that Butler trusted him with a key to the building.
Butler helped open doors for generations of young people in North Omaha.
And more than 80 years later, his name is still on the door.
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต ๐ช๐ด ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฉ๐ขโ๐ด 160 ๐๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ค๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ง๐ง, ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฆ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ฑ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ 160-๐บ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ.
