YMCA funds for Mission will serve local youth and families
May 17, 2016
The mission of the YMCA of Greenville is to improve the lives of people in Greenville County by focusing its efforts on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
Each year the YMCA of Greenville Annual Campaign raises funds for those in our community seeking engaging and healthier lifestyles but are unable to pay for a Y membership or programs. The leadership of the YMCA of Greenville recently announced that a record-setting $1,116,975 was raised during a four-month campaign. Donations were contributed through the generosity of Y members, and community partners, with the purpose that no one with a demonstrated need is turned away from the Y because of the inability to pay. A hundred percent of the funds are locally used on a sliding scale basis to offer financial aid for YMCA memberships and programs like after-school care, summer day camp, swim lessons, youth sports, preschool at the Judson Community Center, and summer camp at Y Camp Greenville.
More than 80 percent of the gifts made to the Y come from individuals reaching out to help their neighbors with:
- Increased access to health and wellness programs through memberships
- Providing a safe and educational place for students to go after school
- Giving young people the social and teamwork skills through youth sports
- Life-saving swimming lessons to children who otherwise have no access to a pool
The YMCA of Greenville impacts lives on a daily basis, and several were recognized through a video, and in publications shared with those attending the event. Steven Edgerton, a YMCA of
Greenville supporter summed up the campaign by saying, “We raised over $1 million dollars to go towards scholarships over the next 12 months. That’s a lot of money. But that’s not how we measure our results. We like to measure results by a child who’s never seen a swimming pool before learning to swim; a single mother living below the poverty level will now have access to a Y afterschool program for her children and someone who otherwise couldn’t afford a membership finding the support network to lose 100 pounds – that’s success.” And because of the dollars raised, “we will impact nearly 15,000 lives, and that’s how we measure success at the YMCA of Greenville.” Edgerton concluded.
The Y is focusing on the health of the community, and the funding will go a long way to improving the lives of individuals across the county, said YMCA of Greenville President and CEO Scot Baddley. “People who come to the YMCA of Greenville are part of something more than a gym membership. They’re part of a community that provides real, measurable results. Thanks to the generosity of neighbors, people who would otherwise be unable to afford access to a facility like the Y are able to make those healthy lifestyle changes.”
The YMCA of Greenville is a non-profit where everyone is welcome, and the annual funds will ensure that the Y membership reflects our communities’ diversity. “When you step onto a treadmill at the YMCA, the person to your left could be a CEO and the person to your right could be living at the poverty line,” said Annual Campaign Chair Brad Hughes. “Our membership reflects the rich diversity of the greater Greenville community, making the YMCA fertile soil for developing meaningful relationships. This collective effort between the Y membership and community will demonstrably improve the quality of life for everyone.”
The celebration announcement was made at a recent luncheon that featured
keynote speaker Pamela Peeke, MD, an internationally renowned expert in women’s health, fitness and nutrition.
