Children from the YMCA’s daycare program perform a song during last year’s annual breakfast. This year’s fundraising effort will be held Thursday, April 7 at the Logan Hilton Hotel at 7:30 a.m.
By John Lynds
Last month, Massport kicked off the East Boston YMCA’s annual capital campaign efforts with a donation of $25,000. The Y’s capital campaign will culminate in the agency’s annual breakfast fundraiser on Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 a.m. at the Logan Hilton Hotel.
Last year, the YMCA raised well above their $140,000 goal during the annual ‘Reach Out for Youth’ campaign and breakfast. The campaign culminates each year at the Y’s annual breakfast in April. Donations and money raised at the breakfast ensures that no child, family or adult will ever be turned away from the Y due to an inability to pay full fees.
“The campaign raises money for scholarships and subsidies, which help children and families join the Y through memberships, child care, summer camps, and other programs,” said the Y’s Executive Director Ann-Margaret Gutierrez. “I’m humbled to follow in a very long line of incredible community leaders and bear witness to the impact our Y has every single day on those who need us most. The Y is the place where community comes together to make a difference. I’ve experienced the power of our organization where staff and volunteers join forces to truly change lives.”
This year’s breakfast, which usually draws over 500 supporters and Rep. Adrian Madaro will serve as the event host for the first time.
“I’m excited to serve as the event host for the first time since being elected last year,” said Madaro. “As the former Vice President of the Y’s board I have seen first hand the great work they do for children and families in East Boston. I look forward to help raise money for this great organization that will help continue their work in our neighborhood.”
As in years past, all money raised through the Annual fund is 100 percent directed to scholarship assistance for programming in Eastie. In 2015 through donations and fundraising the Y was able to raise over $200,000.
For more nearly two decades, the East Boston Y has been helping people in the community improve the quality of their lives with programs that focus on healthy living, social responsibility and youth development.It’s the Y’s mission to be a cornerstone for social change, leading individuals and families of all backgrounds and at all stages of life to learn, thrive and improve the neighborhood
At the East Boston Y, the fitness and nutrition programs are educating and supporting members in their quest to live healthier lives. Seniors are using their membership to stay connected to activities and to people to keep them young and living with purpose, and youth in the East Boston Y’s early education and care and afterschool programs are learning literacy skills and receiving academic support in conjunction with Boston Public Schools curriculum.
The Y is also empowering teens, socially and academically. The Y’s Safe Dates Program provides teens with the skills they need to help them make positive choices in their personal relationships, and free SAT programs and employment through the Y give them the tools they need to be successful in school and beyond.
The Y’s of Greater Boston foster relationships and collaborate with state and local partners to ensure that all people get the care and respect they deserve. Staff, volunteers, community partners and Reach Out donors like Massport empower more than 100,000 people in Greater Boston to live longer healthier lives.With 13 branches in and around Boston, the Y works to meet unique needs of each community it serves.
Sponsorships and tickets to the YMCA’s Reach Out For Youth Breakfast can be purchased at 215 Bremen Street. For more information on how to support the YMCA of Greater Boston’s Annual Fund, visit ymcaboston.org/giving/annual-fund.