SIDNEY — In honor of celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA has selected “50 Reasons Y…” as its Community Partners Campaign theme which officially launched on Thursday, Feb. 15.
“There are so many needs throughout Shelby County that the YMCA helps support. Let’s highlight one for each year we have been in Shelby County,” said 2018 Volunteer Campaign Chair Dr. Lisa Alvetro, when explaining this year’s theme.
“It’s important to understand at the Y, strengthening community is our cause – and we’ve been strengthening Shelby County for 50 years,” said Mark Kaufman, Financial Development director of the YMCA. “The Y is all about impacting lives in a positive and healthy way…impacting the lives of individuals and families right here in Shelby County. Each year this campaign helps over 2,000 people in our community in need of assistance with health and wellness, youth programming, quality childcare and more.”
Two of those 2,000 people are Tom and Mike. Both are dealing with the effects of Parkinson’s disease and participate in the YMCA’s Delay the Disease Parkinson’s Exercise program. Whereas a few months ago they had trouble navigating a few steps or even speaking, just a couple of weeks ago they were running up a staircase to the track, running around the track and back down the staircase multiple times. The Delay the Disease Program is open to anyone in the community and very inexpensively thanks to gifts the Y receives through the Community Partners Campaign.
“We are so grateful to the generous individuals and local businesses which help make our mission possible through their support of this campaign, as well as to those people who have volunteered their time and effort to help,” said Kaufman. “The gifts received ensure everyone, regardless of age, income, or background, will always have the ability to thrive, revive, prosper and belong at the Y.”
Alvetro discussed the goal for this year’s campaign.
“The goal for this year’s campaign is $150,000 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, the 2018 Community Partners Campaign is led by team captains Miki Voisard, Annette Schroelucke, Tom Rossman, Bridget Davis, David O’Leary, Erica Hicks, Julie McIntyre, Marisa Couchot, Ellie Waldsmith, John Cianciolo, Susan Shaffer, Kari Stewart, Brian Johnson, Jeff VanTreese, Craig Albers and Melissa Graham with a team of campaigners supporting this effort.
To learn more about how you can support the Y’s cause of strengthening community, contact Kaufman at 937-492-9134 or [email protected], or visit www.sidney-ymca.org for more information.
