Salmon celebrates new gym with open house

SALMON, Idaho (KIFI) - It was an exciting day Thursday in Salmon, as a long awaited project is almost complete.

The Nep and Mary Ellen Lynch Center held an open house for the community, seven years after the idea for a new gym came to life, said Jim Bob Infanger.

"Some of us just knew we needed a gym bad, and that was about seven years ago," Infanger said. "And so we've been just trying to come up with money and ideas and Nep stepped forward a little over a year ago, to help us get the thing rolling."

Nep Lynch, the main benefactor, donated upwards of $2.5 million.

"I lived here 50 years. And I like Salmon. It's always been good to me, and I try to be good to Salmon too," Lynch said.

The whole community got involved as well, said Infanger.

"Literally tens of thousands of hours donated, equipment, all of the excavation was 100 percent donated;" Infanger said. "All the framing was donated by local carpenters, we've had the different restaurants and grocery stores in town buying food for the workers, different church groups bringing over food. It's really been a lot of fun."

Students from the high school and middle school also got involved, cleaning the gym, and putting together the open house.

In addition to the high school, the community as a whole will be able to enjoy the new gym, with plenty of room for pickle ball.