NEWS RELEASE
YMCA OF SIMCOE/MUSKOKA
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The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka announced a total of $25,000 raised to strengthen the Y’s ability to build healthy communities across Simcoe County, Muskoka and Parry Sound, thanks to caring donors from across the region and a matching gift by a generous anonymous donor.
The funds were raised as part of the 8th annual Giving Tuesday movement, a global day of giving that encourages individuals, communities and organizations to join together and rally for their favourite charitable causes, and will be used to ensure even more individuals and families in the region can participate in everything the YMCA has to offer.
Operating in nearly 80 locations across the region, the YMCA is committed to helping community members feel healthy, strong, safe and included, so they can reach their full potential. The YMCA’s diverse programs, which range from child care, camp, and health and fitness, to youth development, and immigrant and employment services, are designed to help all individuals, regardless of age, stage or background to connect, and have a safe place to learn, grow and belong.
Says participant, Theresa: “The Y is a safe space to help everyone stay active, which is so important for older adults, especially in the winter months when outdoor activities are limited and especially during the pandemic when we couldn’t travel to warmer weather, and when there were so many extra things to worry about. We’ve been locked in for two years, rotting away stuck at home; our minds and bodies really suffered. The Y is working so hard to keep things clean and safe. I love coming here and seeing people of all ages, and with many differences, it lets you know you belong.”
“These donations are even more critical this year,” says CEO Jill Tettmann, “because communities need the YMCA more than ever as they continue on the path to post-pandemic recovery. This will mean changing needs across the region,” she says, “which the YMCA is committed to addressing.”
“I am sharing a very special ‘thank-you’ to the region today, for supporting our continuing efforts to build stronger, healthier communities,” says Tettmann. “Because of the generosity of donors, we will be able to reshape and re-imagine how we connect with individuals, families and communities, and we can continue to innovate and deliver on our mission. When you give to the Y, you make so many new opportunities possible.”
For more information on how to support the Y or to make a donation, community members can visit: www.GiveToTheY.ca.
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