YMCA May Newsletter

YMCA of the Capital Area Newsletter - Y Connection May 2019

ANNUAL CELEBRATION

More than 270 guest and community leaders attended the YMCA of the Capital Area’s Annual Celebration, which recognized the outstanding 2018 volunteers and donors who helped advance the Y’s cause to strengthen the foundation of our community.

Elena Mizell received the annual Edward D. Grant Volunteerism Award for dedicating more than 530 hours of service to the YMCA’s statewide Youth and Government program and has also assumed the role as the lead volunteer for the statewide YMCA Model United Nations program. Tinisha Monroe received the annual Myron Falk Fundraising Award for serving as the fundraising chair for the Dow Westside YMCA’s Annual Support Campaign and with her dedication and leadership, the Y successfully reached its fundraising goal.

A special highlight of the evening included the announcement of a new program coming in 2019, LIVESTRONG at the YMCA. This 12-week program is designed to help cancer survivors regain their health and activity levels. “The LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program is another example of what makes the Y different. It demonstrates our continued commitment to the community and that we are so much more than a gym”, said YMCA of the Capital Area, President/CEO, Christian Engle.

Each YMCA of the Capital Area location honored an Adult Volunteer of the Year:

Tommy Milazzo, A. C. Lewis YMCA

Jesse Moland, Americana YMCA

Herman Brister, Baranco Clark YMCA

Alvin Burton, C. B. Pennington Jr. YMCA

Donald Elliott, Charles W. Lamar Jr. YMCA

Owen Cope, Dow Westside YMCA

Gloria Jefferson, ExxonMobil YMCA

Walker Johnson, Paula G. Manship YMCA

Dr. Jeffrey Keller, Southside YMCA

A new addition to this year’s celebration was to recognize youth volunteers for their dedication and commitment to the Y and the community. This year’s Youth Volunteers of the Year recipients included:

Zoe Vilaysack, A. C. Lewis YMCA

Macheala Neal, Americana YMCA

Dealia Jones, Baranco-Clark YMCA

James Lalonde, C. B. Pennington, Jr. YMCA

Kennira Adams, Charles W. Lamar Jr. YMCA

The night ended in celebration and recognition for the generous donors, dedicated volunteers, hard-working staff and enthusiastic partners who support the Y in creating a better, stronger community, one person and one family at a time.

Click the link below to view pictures from Annual Celebration: https://orders.eyewanderphoto.com/gallery/YMCA_annualMeeting2019/

Click here to view the 2018 Annual Report

Click here for the Annual Celebration Press Release

Video Testimonials:

Bob Russell Video: https://youtu.be/arvNHYRjCXg

Cheryl Lott Video: https://youtu.be/arvNHYRjCXg

Taylor and Brandon, Christian Values Conference Video: https://youtu.be/0iB-NolWjRU

Matter of Balance, Katherine Suggs Video: https://youtu.be/-KE8481Ijpw

NATIONAL WATER SAFETY MONTH

With National Water Safety Month in May and summer around the corner, now is a great time for parents to remember the importance of equipping children with essential water safety skills. The Y offers safety around water and swim lessons. These program that helps reduce the risk of childhood drowning, develop a lifelong love for swimming and provide children from underserved communities greater access to water safety programs.

Before letting your children hit the water this summer, remember these few tips to ensure it’s an enjoyable and safe experience.

1. Never swim alone

2. Supervise your children whenever they’re in water

3. Don’t engage in breath holding activities

4. Wear a life jacket

5. Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water

6. Enroll your children in water safety or swim lessons

SWIMSUIT DRIVE

We are hosting our 12th annual Swimsuit Drive throughout the month of May. Donate any new or gently used swimsuits to any of our YMCA locations. Donated suits will be provided to children and adults in need. Donations will be accepted from May 1- 31 at all Y locations.