YMCA Impact Winter 2014-15 Issue

CAMP MAGIC Also inside this issue:

PARTNERING IN DIABETES PREVENTION HEALTHIER FAMILIES THROUGH FOOD ACCESS

WINTER 2014-15

Table of Contents

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SMALL STEPS, BIG RESULTS From our growing network of community partnerships to the launch of the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, discover how the Y is leading the fight against diabetes in our region.

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REMOVING BARRIERS

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CAMP MAGIC

Learn how the Y’s efforts in healthy eating and food access are helping families in one of our most at-risk neighborhoods eat better—together.

Popular books and movies meet outdoor adventure at Camp Widjiwagan’s fully-themed camps—where kids get to be a part of the story.

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HEALTH AND WHOLENESS

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REMEMBERING MR. RAYHAB

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A LIFETIME COMMITMENT

The YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s new chaplain reflects on how the Y’s Christian mission impacts the communities we serve.

A former YMCA executive leaves behind a legacy of laughter and loyalty to an organization he loved so well.

The Heritage Club honors the fun-loving spirit and generosity of two of the Y’s biggest champions.

© 2014 YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE Publisher Jessica Fain Editor Keith Russell Writer Lindsay Merwin Designer David Read

IN FOCUS

DIABETES BEFORE IT STARTS

STOPPING DIABETES BEFORE IT STARTS

STOPPING

As our region’s diabetes rate reaches alarming proportions, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee is on the front line of efforts to use preventive measures to stem the tide of the epidemic.

THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING. Recent reports show Tennessee has the nation’s sixth-highest diabetes rate. One out of every 10 adults in the state has the disease, and 50,000 more are prediabetic. On the government’s payroll alone, more than 20,000 state employees are at high risk for developing diabetes, a number that will cost the state upwards of $5,000 each year for every person diagnosed. And in Nashville’s Davidson County, 18% of residents are already suffering from a disease that is, in the case of type 2 diabetes, largely preventable.

As alarming as these statistics may be, there is also strength in numbers when it comes to confronting this growing health crisis thanks to an innovative new YMCA program and efforts by the Y and other community partners to develop a comprehensive strategy focused on preventive measures to address our state’s diabetes epidemic.

The size of this growing coalition was on full display in September when the Y—in partnership with the American Medical Association and state medical associations—hosted the first-ever Middle Tennessee Diabetes Prevention Summit at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan. Among the approximately 50 leaders from the fields of medicine, wellness, health care and government was Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who applauded the Y’s efforts to bring Middle Tennessee’s health experts under one roof—and the organization’s passion for improving health and well-being in our community.

“They’ve worked really hard to get people moving. And everything we’ve done, they’ve been partners in,” Dean said of the Y. “When you think about healthy living, when you think about having a well-balanced life, you think about the Y.” (continued on page 4)

1 OUT OF 3 U.S. ADULTS HAS PREDIABETES ONLY 11% KNOW THEY HAVE IT

Sources: National Institutes of Health Diabetes Prevention Program Trial (2002), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011)

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IN FOCUS

STOPPING DIABETES BEFORE IT STARTS

‘IT’S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US’

ON THE PATH TO PREVENTION

The summit was just the start of a monumental challenge before our community: to develop a comprehensive strategy for confronting diabetes that health experts say will require not just an army of fully supportive physicians, health care providers, employers and nonprofit organizations like the Y, but the personal commitment of the thousands of individuals and families who must make significant lifestyle changes to reduce or reverse their risk of getting diabetes and other chronic conditions.

At the center of this effort to change behaviors is the local launch of the national YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. Developed by the YMCA of the USA, the program engages participants in a yearlong series of small group interventions designed to empower them to reexamine and improve their eating and exercise habits with the support of a lifestyle coach and fellow group members. The group structure—8 to 15 people per program—is a marked departure from the traditional one-on-one counseling model.

“We have to have the individuals engaged,” says Dr. Andrea Willis, chief medical officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “And it’s going to take all of us to convince them there is a reason to make the change.”

“It’s a very psychological approach, which I think is way more important than the dietetics,” says program coordinator and lifestyle coach Jenny Beadle, who’s overseeing the recent launch of four pilot programs at the Y’s Downtown, Margaret Maddox, North Clarksville and Franklin locations. The Y plans to expand to about 10-12 more locations in the next year.

“Changing outcomes often means changing behaviors,” says Ted Cornelius, the YMCA’s vice president of health innovation. “We want to give patients, through their health care providers, resources to help address these lifestyle issues and avoid unnecessary medical complications.”

HELP BUILD A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY You can help the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program in Middle Tennessee by giving to the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s Annual Giving Campaign. Visit give.ymcamidtn.org to give the gift of prevention to your community today.

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YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

“If someone falls short of their goal for that week, the ‘what’ is not what’s important,” Beadle continues.

“The ‘why’ is what’s important. ‘Why aren’t you doing it?’ ‘What’s holding you back?’ ‘How can we find a solution that works best for you?’”

“We are knocking it out of the park,” says Dr. Matt Longjohn, national health officer for Y-USA. “When people show up and participate in this program, the YMCA is delivering great outcomes for the participants and the employers or insurers who may be covering them. That’s a huge community benefit.”

PARTNERING FOR PREVENTION One critical component to the overall prevention strategy’s success will be persuading physicians, hospitals, employers and insurers to identify at-risk individuals and refer them to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. Even the program’s staunchest advocates admit that’s no small undertaking given how the medical community has historically been more comfortable treating chronic conditions like diabetes after symptoms appear—rather than seek to stop them before they start.

On the payment side of the equation, the Y is hard at work recruiting employers and Tennessee’s major insurance providers to help cover the $429 program cost for at-risk individuals who could not otherwise afford to participate. Until then, the Y is relying on the generosity of partners such as the charitable foundation of insurance provider WellPoint, which has provided a $25,000 gift to fund scholarships for 40 program participants.

IN FOCUS

A scientific study conducted by the National Institutes of Health—on which the Y’s program is based—proved that participants who averaged 5-7% weight loss reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58-71%.

Since Y-USA launched the program in 2010, it’s grown to 146 cities and nearly 1,000 program locations.

And the 23,000 participants who’ve completed it nationwide have averaged a 5.9% weight loss.

“Now, most of what we’re seeing in the primary care community is managing chronic disease. Chief among that is diabetes,” explains Dr. John Anderson, a Nashville physician and nationally-recognized diabetes specialist. “We need to be promoting health, not just trying to fix disease.”

STOPPING DIABETES BEFORE IT STARTS

While Middle Tennessee’s diabetes program is still in its formative stages, the program’s track record in other communities around the country speaks to its success.

Anderson and other advocates at September’s summit believe the Y has both the community trust and geographic reach needed to have a significant impact.

“We have a big problem. We also have a lot of resources,” Anderson says. “We need to be really willing to use those community resources. And right now, the YMCA is the best community resource to roll out these programs.

“Fifty-seven percent of the population lives within three miles of a YMCA. They’ve already done the hard work; they’ve already shown that their evidence works. That’s where I want to send my patients.”

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FEATURE

REMOVING BARRIERS

The Northwest Family YMCA is finding new ways to nourish the surrounding neighborhood with innovative partnerships that make healthy eating easier for families.

Before this summer, Bordeaux resident Theresa Searcy didn’t eat squash. She wouldn’t touch zucchini. And she’d never cooked an eggplant. So when she found those vegetables in her first weekly portion of fresh produce from the Share-AShare program—a partnership of the Northwest Family YMCA and several other local organizations— she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.

“My mom doesn’t do any vegetables other than greens,” laughs her daughter, Lasheka Mayes. “Whenever she got this box she was like, ‘Do you know what this stuff is?’”

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS See how the Y is touching even more lives with the expertise and support of other local community partners.

Pink and Dude Chefs: Middle schoolers get the nutrition education and culinary skills they need to be confident in the kitchen through a six-week course developed by California Polytechnic State University and evaluated by researchers at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education.

Good Food for Good People: The Northwest Y’s lobby transforms into a farmers market once a week thanks to this local nonprofit focused on providing at-risk communities with better access to fresh, healthy produce.

Garden Club: Kids learn about growing and gardening in the Northwest Y’s 6 raised bed garden from the staff of volunteer resource nonprofit Hands On Nashville.

STEP Up & The Nashville Food Project: The Y’s STEP Up teen program (centered around healthy decision making and service learning) partners with food access nonprofit The Nashville Food Project to teach campers about gardening at TNFP’s urban garden.

Adult Nutrition Education: The Northwest Y hosts a space for educators from Tennessee State University to teach adults about food safety, portion control, and making healthier food choices.

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YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

Over the next few months, that “stuff” became a dinnertime staple. Already a seasoned cook, Searcy started incorporating the veggies into meals for her daughter and grandchildren.

Now, the family’s enjoying healthier dinners together. And Mayes says the program has not only changed how they eat; it’s changed where they shop, too.

“At the beginning, it was overwhelming,” she says. “But now…I do a lot more cooking. I never went to the farmer’s market.

Now I want to go every Saturday.”

PARTNERING FOR A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY Share-A-Share represents just one of several collaborative efforts by the Northwest Family YMCA to remove the barriers families like the Searcys face when it comes to eating healthy and practicing other healthy lifestyle habits.

In a community with one of the state’s highest rates of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related health conditions, the initiatives—ranging from a weekly farmers market to cooking classes and a community garden (see sidebar, left)— are considered critical to the Y’s overall efforts to reduce our region’s alarming rates of obesity and chronic disease.

Consider these numbers associated with the Northwest Y’s 37218 ZIP code: • Nearly one in five residents suffers from diabetes—nearly double the average for Tennessee, a state that already has the nation’s sixth-highest diabetes rate. Obesity rates for adults and teens are also disproportionately high in the community.

• Average household income in the area is 25% below the national average, and 70% of children at a nearby middle school receive free or reduced-price lunch.

• Significant parts of the surrounding area have been identified by health experts as “food deserts,” meaning they lack easy access to healthy and affordable food options. (continued on page 7)

“I really want the Y, especially the Northwest Y, to stand out as a place that cares about health and wellness,” says Alley Pickren, the Y’s youth obesity prevention specialist. “It’s important that we’re a beacon of health in our communities.”

CULTIVATING HEALTHIER FOOD HABITS Theresa Searcy’s family was among 10 selected to participate in Share-A-Share, a program piloted by the farmers, community leaders and nonprofits comprising Nashville’s Community Food Hive—of which the Northwest Y is a leading partner.

Share-A-Share provided Bordeaux families in need with a weekly bushel of fresh, locally grown produce at a fraction of the cost. Each Saturday morning for 10 weeks, participants picked up their share of fruits and vegetables at the Nashville Farmers’ Market, along with relevant recipes to try during the week.

FEATURE

REMOVING BARRIERS

Subsequently, the Y’s efforts to help Bordeaux residents have access to healthy living resources— be it our facilities or healthier foods—have never been more critical.

GETTING KIDS INTO THE KITCHEN For six weeks over the summer, the Y also teamed up with food education nonprofit Green Fork Academy to host weekly cooking classes for young families in search of recipes, timesaving tips and advice on making veggies more appealing to kids.

“The class was awesome,” says parent Errol Qualls, who brought along his 3- and 4-year-olds. “Very hands on. They got to help chop the food and mix it up and go into actual preparation.”

“Little kids can sit at the table, they can stir. It helps their selfconfidence,” says class instructor Dr. Ashley Woods. “And really you’re teaching them life skills, just like brushing their teeth.”

Under the guidance of Woods—a mom, licensed physician and Green Fork volunteer—families worked together to whip up everything from kale chips to vegetable frittatas. “No one turned their nose up at it. Everybody tried it,” Woods says of the frittatas. “And most of the kids thought, ‘wow, this is fantastic.’”

Woods says getting young kids involved in the kitchen is worth the extra few minutes it takes to supervise; if a child can take part in the process of making dinner, he’s more likely to clear his plate—or, at the very least, try everything on it.

Launched in response to a lack of nutrition education and limited access to fresh produce in the neighborhood, the program aims to cultivate healthier habits—and break down the awareness and economic barriers that can often prevent families from eating better.

For Qualls, the problem isn’t getting his kids to eat—“luckily, I don’t have picky eaters,” he says—it’s finding a spare moment to prepare a healthy meal in between sports practice, homework and family time. So he’s appreciated the chance to get fresh ideas from the community of parents the Y has gathered together—many of whom struggle with the same issues.

“I think sometimes we don’t realize that a lot of people just haven’t tried different types of produce,” says Pickren. “If we can give it to them and they can start to try different things and use them more, then we hope the demand will go up for those kinds of foods.”

“I think it’s amazing,” says Woods of the Y’s efforts to create a space where families can learn and cook and support each other. “It’s an incredible platform to incorporate food as part of your health.”

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FEATURE

CAMP MAGIC

CAMP MAGIC CAMP WIDJIWAGAN’S NEW CAMPS TRANSFORM POP CULTURE FAVORITES INTO LARGER-THAN-LIFE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES—AND TURN CAMPERS INTO HEROES. It’s a Wednesday evening at Camp Widjiwagan. A dramatic soundtrack crackles through the speaker system, the sound of trumpets carried along by the breeze. Camp landmarks are transformed from ordinary (the bell tower) to otherworldly (the giant’s lair). Staff members dressed in togas and wings and face paint patiently wait at their posts. Then, in the distance, from the direction of the amphitheater, the yells and cheers grow stronger and stronger—as 150 kids take off across campus to find clues, fight monsters, and fully immerse themselves in the magic of camp.

But this camp-wide game—held every Wednesday during the summer— is more than just an elaborate scavenger hunt. Together, campers and staff are recreating scenes from the pages of Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan’s young adult series about a boy hero who faces off with the gods and creatures of Greek mythology. This is literary camp—the brainchild of Camp Widjiwagan’s new executive director Jeff Merhige— and one of five weeklong camps like it at Widji this past summer.

MORE VARIETY FOR CAMPERS

Also known as fully-themed camps, the new style of camps are part of a larger shift in Camp Widji’s focus on giving kids the chance to choose—and live out—their own adventures.

Starting this past camp season, campers picked from a wider range of unique programming catering to their hobbies and passions—from surf school to a full week of equestrian education at ranch camp.

Merhige says even more niche camps—including one based on popular computer game Minecraft—are in development for next year.

“Camp in general is always going to have camp magic,” Merhige says.

“And that hasn’t changed. So what we’ve done is created more variety for parents and kids especially. What do they want to experience?

Instead of saying, ‘this is all we have to offer,’ our approach has been to bring as much diversity as we can to our specialty programs.”

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The concept is simple: take stories from books and movies that kids already love and combine them with the outdoor adventure of summer camp.

“If you were to walk up to a group of kids and say, ‘let’s play musical chairs,’ at a certain age musical chairs is musical chairs. But if you can say, ‘it’s musical chairs in a mortal combat arena with a Percy Jackson clue underneath the chair of the person who wins,’ now musical chairs becomes bigger and broader.”

So far, the new camps have been a hit—with every week in summer 2014 selling out. “It’s already far exceeded all initial startup expectations,” Merhige says. “The kids have been amazing here.”

“I’ve always been a big fan of bringing pop culture themes to life for kids,” Merhige says. “From the moment a kid checks in to the moment a kid checks out, we immerse them in that world that is so popular to them.”

This summer, that’s included the worlds of Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Brotherband Chronicles, and the popular Ranger’s Apprentice series—in which campers get the chance to ride horseback, practice archery and learn survival skills—just like their fictional counterparts.

‘THE DETAILS MATTER’

Though the idea may be new to Camp Widjiwagan, Merhige has been putting on pop culture camps for years, most recently at his last post at YMCA Camp Kern in Dayton, Ohio. And in most cases, he’s collaborating directly with the authors and creators—like Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas’ production company, Lucasfilm—to develop the games, write a curriculum, and then build the physical world of the story.

For Percy Jackson camp, Merhige and the camp staff attached a 30-foot cardboard giant to the water tower, and the maintenance crew built working chariots from wood and PVC pipe for the kids to use in chariot races.

“The look on the kids’ faces when they find out they’re really going to ride in a chariot makes it worth it,” Merhige says.

Behind those big set pieces that establishing such a world requires, there’s a larger strategy at play—an effort to capture kids’ imaginations on a higher level.

FEATURE

“I think kids respond when you make it something relative to them. And then if you can take a traditional game like capture the flag and then tie it to a theme that’s popular with them and give it a twist, it becomes more engaging,” he says.

CAMP MAGIC

BRINGING POP CULTURE TO LIFE

CONNECTING ADVENTURE AND EDUCATION Merhige matches the campers in his enthusiasm for the games and the books that inspire them. During large group activities, he’s either traversing the grounds in a four-wheeler, trying to keep up with the action—or huddled up with campers, eagerly helping them form a game strategy. The counselors in costume fully commit, too—researching their characters a week in advance of the big game.

“Camp magic is the staff. It’s how much they get into it and try, even if they haven’t read the books themselves,” Merhige says. “If we can do 70-80% of the details, the kids’ imaginations fill in the blanks.

So even if a counselor’s not that great at playing that Greek god, the kids end up helping them complete their character because they want it to work. They want the adventure to continue.”

The real measure of the camp’s impact, Merhige says, lies in whether kids bring that adventure home with them after the week is over—and keep engaging with the story through reading the series or any other books that interest them.

“We always talk about summer learning loss. And if we can do programs at camp that encourage reading and encourage kids to learn more…it’s a nice bridge to nature and education.”

CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE NEXT YEAR!

Online registration is now available for Camp Widjiwagan’s 2015 season. Visit campwidji.org to sign up or learn more.

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DISPATCHES

HEALTH AND WHOLENESS

HEALTH AND WHOLENESS Incoming chaplain Reverend Stacey Buford spent years providing pastoral care to hospitals and family services agencies. Now, she’s looking forward to fostering spiritual community at the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.

As a clinical chaplain, Reverend Stacey Buford’s experiences supporting families in crisis situations—“whether in birth or death or anything in between,” she says—showed her how much faith and physical health are truly connected.

“In the hospital, I really had the opportunity to see the importance of mind, body and spirit working together.”

Sharing in that same holistic approach to wellness, the YMCA of Middle Tennessee was proud and pleased to welcome Buford to the position of Association chaplain in August.

She fills the role vacated by the Association’s first-ever chaplain, Larry Yarborough, who retired over the summer.

“Stacey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Association,” says chief financial officer Rob Ivy, citing Buford’s more than 12 years of combined service at various hospitals in Georgia and in the greater Nashville area, including Vanderbilt University Hospital and Children’s Hospital, where she remains weekend chaplain. Buford also spent 5 years working closely with foster children in the difficult transition between home placements.

She’s thrilled to bring her interest in wellness—and her heart for families and children—to her work serving the diverse population of the Y. “It’s an opportunity to really be with families and individuals in the real world every day,” she says. “We come into contact with people from so many different walks of life…folks that might never walk in the door of a church who will most certainly walk in the door of the Y. So we have a chance to get to know a whole different group of people.”

Buford says during her tenure, the organization will continue to thoughtfully examine what the Christian “C” in YMCA really means “in a modern age and a modern setting.” For her, the way the Y fulfills its Christian mission is represented just as well by two other words: connection and community.

“Pastoral care is about a lot of the things the Y is about.

It’s about building relationships, creating places for people to connect with God, connect with themselves on a deeper level, and connect with people around them and strengthen community ties.”

Buford is an ordained minister with a B.A. in religious education from Samford University in Birmingham and a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She and her husband and three teenage children live in Murfreesboro.

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YMCA OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

A CAREER OF COMPASSION In his more than 7 years of ministry with the YMCA, former chaplain Larry Yarborough lived out the Y’s Christian principles through his kindness and service to our members, staff and guests. Though his impact can never truly be measured, we’ve done our best to illustrate it here:

Made 3,833 trips to our 30+ Y locations

Gave away 40,000 bibles through bible distribution program Rallied 200 prayer partners to address weekly prayer requests

Paid 1,229 hospital visits to members and staff

Received the 2012 Volunteer of the Year award from Samaritan’s Purse for his work with Operation Christmas Child

Yarborough performed countless weddings and funerals across the Association. He also developed the Christian Outreach Committee, a collection of representatives charged with leading faith-based service efforts for each of our centers. In retirement, he’ll continue to serve the community as a volunteer for several nonprofits.

Friends and family of Bob and Ruth Napier can agree on three things they admire about them: their humor, hospitality and humble service to the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.

As longtime members of and generous donors to the Y, the Napiers have made a lasting contribution to the growth of the organization and Camp Widjiwagan in particular—where Bob’s passionate leadership on the board in the 1990s helped restore the then-defunct camp to the thriving campus it is today.

“It doesn’t matter what you look at, it’s what you see,” says friend and fellow YMCA Foundation board member Charley Martin. “And I think Bob saw the potential for Camp Widjiwagan and ultimately it’s become the premier camp in the Middle South.”

For that work—and their ongoing dedication to the Y—the Napiers accepted the Heritage Club’s highest honor at the club’s annual dinner in November: the H.G. Hill Jr. Philanthropic Award. It’s sponsored by the H.G. Hill Realty Company in memory of H.G. Hill Jr., a former chairman of the YMCA Board of Directors and a leader to the organization for more than 50 years.

The Napiers are among 500 Heritage Club members who make the ultimate commitment by including the YMCA in their estate plans, ensuring that future families can benefit from the Y for years to come. Bob remains active on the YMCA Foundation Board and Ruth also continues to work part-time for the Association.

Bob and Ruth Napier

DISPATCHES

REMEMBERING JIM RAYHAB

A LIFETIME COMMITMENT

REMEMBERING JIM RAYHAB

A former YMCA executive leaves behind a legacy of laughter and loyalty to an organization he loved so well.

There’s a place at the Downtown YMCA that Jim Rayhab’s colleagues and friends will always associate with him: the roundtables in the lobby.

Following his retirement as business director of the Downtown Y in 1993, Jim continued to spend many of his mornings in the sunlit lobby, talking sports and life (and telling “terrible jokes”) with his locker room buddies.

To his close friends, he was just “Rayhab.” And now, after his passing this summer at age 82, they remember him just as informally and just as fondly—as “a beautiful dude.”

“He was more interested in helping people than he was in furthering his own cause,” says longtime friend E.J. Boyson, who said the Y remained a refuge for Jim in his later years. “He was a helpful kind of guy all through life.”

Jim Rayhab’s 37-year career of helping others through the Y began in 1956.

He worked at three other associations before coming to Middle Tennessee— including Louisville, where he famously offered news anchor Diane Sawyer her very first job. He then joined the executive staff of the Downtown Y in 1969, serving as business director under former CEO Ralph Brunson.

During his 23-year tenure, Jim steered the decision to move the original Y facility to its current location on Church Street. He was figuratively and literally committed to carrying the Y’s legacy; family members recall Jim walking six blocks from the former building to the new one with the old cornerstone on his back. Long after the heavy lifting of his professional life, Jim remained a champion of the Y’s mission and a testament to its impact—through the kindness he showed others.

“We’re going to miss his kind nature around here and his smile and just the genuine love he had for people,” says Downtown YMCA executive director Kenny Alonzo, who mentioned future plans to install a memorial for “Roundtable Rayhab” near Jim’s favorite spot to socialize at the Downtown Y. “He not only had so many friends here, but he made such an impact in this community and truly left a legacy for many generations to come,” says CEO Dan Dummermuth.

Jim Rayhab leaves behind his wife, Delores, and three generations of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “He was proud of a lot of things. His family, his faith, his friends,” says Boyson. “It was a blessing and an honor to know him.”

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2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS William B. Lee, Chair James W. Granbery, Chair-elect Leilani Boulware, Secretary Randy Laszewski, Treasurer DeCosta Jenkins, Asst. Treasurer Liz Allbritton

Walter Knestrick

Lawson Allen

Ronald F. Knox, Jr.

Carter Andrews

Walker Mathews

H. Lee Barfield II

Pat McGuigan

Kelley Beaman

Rob McNeilly

Lee Beaman

Clayton McWhorter

David Bohan

John Ed Miller

Dr. Elbert Brooks

Doyle Rippee

Trudy Carpenter

Joseph Saoud

George H. Cate

Glenn Sheriff

Ramon Cisneros

Rev. Bob Spain

Jonathan Cole

Barbara Sutton

Florence Davis

Brett Sweet

Bill DeLoache

Carter Todd

Marty Dickens

William E. Turner, Jr.

Frank Drowota

Louis Upkins

Jack Elisar

William B. Wadlington, MD

Rich Ford

James A. Webb III

Sandra Fulton

Olin West III

Homer B. Gibbs, Jr.

Lari White

Roupen M. Gulbenk

David Wilds

Bill Henderson

David Wilson

Sen. Douglas Henry

William M. Wilson

Bill Hudson

CENTER CHAIRS Tonya Robbins, Bellevue Jayne Wochomurka, Brentwood Colin Barrett, Center for Civic Engagement Danielle Hampton, Christ Church Christy Batts, Clarksville Brian Sweatt, M.Ed, Donelson-Hermitage David Edwards, Downtown Tony Wall, Franklin Sandy Cornelius, Green Hills Harriet Karro, Joe C. Davis YMCA Outdoor Center Ed Zavala, Latino Achievers Neal Doherty, Margaret Maddox Deb Enright, Maryland Farms James Yates, North Rutherford Allyson Young, Northwest Robin Williams, Restore Ministries Jeff Walker, Robertson County Thomas Parkerson, Rutherford County Terry Akin, Sumner County Jim Burnett, Y-CAP