Spring Newsletter

FOR A BETTER US

SPRING 2017

YMCA OF METRO NORTH 2 Centennial Dr. Suite 4A. Peabody, MA 01960 978-775-3701 YMCAMETRONORTH.ORG

GREETINGS!

H

opefully the nice weather is here to stay as we look towards the best summer ever at the YMCA of Metro North! Starting in June, hundreds of kids will be on our camp properties making new friends and having new adventures. The Y will provide financial assistance to ensure that all children get the chance to go to camp, no matter their family’s economic circumstances.

The Y is able to support the children and families of our communities thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters. We are thrilled to be wrapping up the community phase of our annual support campaign that has raised more money and engaged more volunteers & donors, leading to more impact on our communities.

Thank you for all that you do for the YMCA of Metro North. Please take some time to read about the amazing impact our donors, supporters, volunteers and friends make possible in our newly released 2016 Annual Report. We couldn’t do it without your support!

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy summer!

Bruce Macdonald President & CEO

Volunteer Champions This year the YMCA embarked on a new fundraising adventure. For the first time, volunteers were asked to raise funds to help the Y strengthen communities as YMCA champions. Volunteers from all of the branches shared why the Y was important to them and asked their friends and family for donations to support the Y’s cause. By telling their Y story, the volunteer champions helped spread the word about the Y’s impact and raised vital funds for the mission. Together they raised over $8,000! Special thanks to all of our volunteer champions for their time and effort in helping the Y impact more families in our communities!

Mission in Motion On Saturday, May 6, the Melrose Family YMCA successfully hosted its first Mission in Motion Cyclestrong for LiveSTRONG event! LiveSTRONG participants joined Y members and the community to raise nearly $5,000 for this amazingly impactful program. The inaugural cyclea-thon event was a huge success, raising funds and awareness for the signature wellness program focused on post-rehabilitation exercise and supportive care for cancer survivors of all stages. LiveSTRONG is now in its 2nd year at the Melrose Y, and the program has created a tight knit community of staff and participants who have become the best of friends both inside and out of the Y. Thank you to all of the members, donors, volunteers and staff who made this event a success to sustain a program that means so much to the community!

Y Champions Celebration On May 17, donors, community partners, staff and volunteers gathered at Gannon Golf Club to celebrate the Y champions in our communities. The Y Champions Celebration recognized the support from volunteers and community partners that allow the Y to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. Whole Foods Lynnfield received the YMCA Community Partner Award in recognition for their support and collaboration. Mike Brown of North Shore Bank was recognized for his outstanding commitment to volunteerism with the Y with the Leonard Service Volunteer Award.

The Y was also proud to award the first annual YMCA Youth Champions Scholarship to seven graduating high school seniors from the Y’s service area. The YMCA created this scholarship opportunity with the intention to acknowledge the amazing students who have made a difference in their community, demonstrate a strong sense of social responsibility, and embody the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.

The scholarships were reviewed by a volunteer committee, who evaluated applications and interviewed the finalists.

Committee members included Arthur Bourque from the Town of Lynnfield, Julie Daigle from the City of Peabody, Nicolas D’Onofrio from Boston Children’s Hospital at Peabody, Nanci Horn from MarketStreet Lynnfield,

Tim Kolojay from Energi Insurance, Cidalia Schwartz from Lyon Waugh Auto Group and Brian Vinagro from Peabody Wealth Advisors.

The Y set out to give a $500 scholarship to two graduating seniors. The review committee was so moved by these amazing students, they were determined to find a way to provide scholarships to all of our finalists.

Thanks to the generosity of Arthur & Joan Bourque, Lyon Waugh Auto Group and Boston Children’s Hospital, we were thrilled to be able to award all seven of these very deserving young people with a $500 scholarship! We know these students will continue to make a difference in their college communities and beyond.

Congratulations to the 2017 YMCA Youth Champion Scholarship winners!

Nicole Coates, Lynn Lindsey Duhamel, Stoneham Caitlin Dwyer, Peabody Sara Feinstein, Peabody Courtney Ingersoll, Saugus Andrew Maguire, Melrose Hannah Pellizzaro, Peabody

Wells Fargo Thanks to a new partnership with Wells Fargo, fifty weeks of summer camp will be provided to homeless campers this summer! The YMCA of Metro North received a $15,500 grant from Wells Fargo & Company for the Homeless Camper Program at Camp Sachem at the Saugus Family YMCA. In 2016, the Y provided camp services to eleven homeless children through a partnership with the Department of Children & Families and Cambridge Camping. After seeing the need grow for a safe space for homeless campers, the YMCA sought to increase the program at the Saugus Family YMCA. Thanks to Wells Fargo’s generosity, the Y can provide the best summer ever to the children who need it most in our community. We are thrilled to be able to give kids who may be living in a local motel room the opportunity to have fun, play outside and make new friends because of the support from Wells Fargo.

Pictured is Michael Sullivan of Wells Fargo, his son Anthony, and Crystal Bates, Vice President of Communications for the YMCA of Metro North.

Make a Difference Days The Lynn, Saugus and Melrose branches set out at the beginning of April to each raise $1,000 in 1 day. The money raised at Melrose and Saugus would send a kid to summer camp for one month. The funds raised in Lynn would give three kids the chance to participate in Youth Center programming for the whole summer. Each branch had a thermometer in the lobby so everyone could see the progress towards the goal of raising $1,000. Thanks to generosity of our donors (both old and new!) and the hard work of the staff, over $6,000 was raised, well exceeding the goal! A huge thanks goes out to all of the members and friends who donated so that more kids in our communities can have a fun, safe and engaged summer in YMCA programming!

Shinning Stars On Thursday, March 23 the iconic Lynn Museum came alive with the wonderful sounds of young musicians at the Lynn YMCA’s Shining Stars event. The evening was full of beautiful music provided by local youth who gained the confidence to chase their dreams at the Lynn Y’s Music Studio Clubhouse. The event also honored local artists and organizations for their contributions to the music community and furthering the creative arts in Lynn. One hundred supporters filled the room and over $10,000 was raised for the program which gives kids a safe place to express themselves and discover new talents at the Lynn YMCA.

Road Race Series The 2017 YMCA of Metro North Road Race Series is off to a sprinting start! The series is made up of 5 unique races across our communities to motivate, inspire and promote the Y’s mission of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Hundreds of runners have participated in the two races held thus far, the Saugus Not a Walk in the Park 5k in April and the Lynn Stride Along the Tide 5k in May. This year there is a record high of 97 runners who have signed up for all four races in the series.

The YMCA of Metro North Half Marathon also returns in November for those who want to challenge themselves with a longer race. The support of the runners for these

fun and healthy races supports the Y’s cause and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the Y’s programs and services.

YMCA of Metro North is extremely grateful for the support of our road race series sponsor, Lahey Health. To learn more about the 2017 Run for the Y Road Race Series, visit: www.ymcametronorth.org/support/road-race-series/

Welcome New Board Members!

Andrew Demakes, Old Neighborhood Foods Andrew Demakes is the Director of Foodservice Sales at Old Neighborhood Foods. He is responsible for distribution sales to college, health care, hotel and restaurant facilities and the operations of the warehousing team which ships Old Neighborhood Food products all over the country.

Andrew is part of the fourth generation in the proud family business which has been committed to quality and taste in over one hundred meat products since 1914.

Lisa McBride, Salem State University Dr. Lisa McBride has an extensive and distinguished background serving as the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) in various higher education institutions. In her current role, she serves as the inaugural Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Salem State University (SSU) where she is a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet.

Keith Thomasset, Lahey Medical Center Peabody Dr. Thomasset is the Interim Senior VP of Operations at Lahey Medical Center, Peabody. He is responsible for the overall operations of the facility as well as the continued growth of primary care, medical and surgical specialties and overall presence within the North Shore market.

Carolina Trujillo, Essex Media Group Carolina Trujilo currently serves as the Community Relations Manager and Director of La Voz Newspaper, the North Shore’s newest Spanish-language publication.

She is in charge of developing and implementing culturally sensitive media interventions that capture the specific needs of Latinos residing in the North Shore.

Pictured From Left to Right: Andrew Demakes, Lisa McBride, Keith Thomasset, Carolina Trujillo, Board Chairman John Smolinsky.

UPCOMING EVENTS Melrose Family YMCA Fore the Kids Golf Tournament

Monday, June 12 at Bellevue Golf Club Torigian Family YMCA Dash & Splash 5K:

Thursday, July 13 Where in the World YMCA Gala Saturday, September 23