SIDNEY — “The Power of Love” will flow during the Sidney Shelby County YMCA’s annual Community Partners Campaign. The campaign, which will begin Thursday Feb. 14, 2019, at noon at the Y with a catered lunch, will feature inspiring stories of two individuals who have benefitted from Y services this past year.

“It’s important to remember the Y is a charitable organization with a mission that is all about loving the people we serve,” said Dr. Lisa Alvetro, 2019 volunteer campaign chair. “What better way to show our love than to launch our campaign on Valentine’s Day with the theme, ‘The Power of Love!’”

Campaign Vice Chair Susan Shaffer added, “Our community faces many needs and challenges – obesity and chronic health issues, achievement gaps in education, a lack of opportunities for teens to ‘belong,’ and disparities in having access to healthy living to name a few. As a cause-driven, organization, the Y is perfectly positioned to respond to these needs.”

Every day the Y impacts lives in a positive and healthy way; impacting the lives of individuals and families right here in Shelby County. Each year this campaign helps well over 2000 people in our community in need of assistance with health and wellness, youth programming, quality childcare and more.

“Our Community Partners Campaign is the cornerstone of our mission and provides us with the means to respond in love,” said Sidney-Shelby County YMCA CEO Ed Thomas. “We are so grateful to the generous support of individuals and local businesses whose gifts to the Campaign make certain we continue to show the Power of Love each and every day.”

“The goal for this year’s campaign is $125,000 and one hundred percent of donations received stay in Shelby County,” said Alvetro. “Each year, every dollar of every gift is returned to the community to assist those in need in a wide variety of ways. They support the family that is struggling to get back on their feet with caring and nurturing Child Care, teach children swim lessons that will last a lifetime, help teens through the YMCA leadership program, or help those with health challenges become active and fit again.”

In addition to Alvetro and Shaffer, the 2019 Community Partners Campaign is led by team captains Craig Albers, John Cianciolo, Marisa Couchot, Bridget Davis, Erica Hicks, Melissa Kinninger, Suann Kleinhans, Amy Murray, David O’Leary, Tom Rossman, Aditya Sakhalkar, Kari Stewart, Jeff VanTreese and Miki Voisard with a team of dedicated campaigners supporting the effort.

To learn more about how you can support the Y’s cause of strengthening community, contact Mark Kaufman, Financial Development Director, at 937-492-9134 or [email protected], or visit www.sidney-ymca.org for more information.