For the 10th straight year, Massport has stepped up and helped kickoff the East Boston YMCA’s annual Capital Campaign with a $25,000 grant donation.
The Y’s capital campaign will culminate in the agency’s annual breakfast fundraiser in April 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. The donations and money raised during the fundraising campaign ensures that no child, family or adult will ever be turned away from the Y due to an inability to pay full fees.
Massport is this year’s “Presenting Sponsor” of the upcoming Reach Out Breakfast, which brings together over 500 community members annually to celebrate and raise money for the East Boston community. This year’s Reach Out Breakfast will take place on April 9, at 7 a.m. at the Hilton Boston Logan Airport
“The YMCA is grateful for Massport’s continued support over the past decade,” says Joseph Gaeta, Executive Director of the East Boston YMCA. “We work closely with our partners to address the needs of the community through programs that promote improving health, and empowering youth and families. We are excited to announce that Massport will be the presenting sponsor of this year’s Reach Out Breakfast and thank them for their consistent generosity. With the help from partners like Massport, we as a community are truly stronger together.”
Gaeta said the Massport grant will provide assistance to programs such as childcare and water safety. Since taking over the Mario Umana Academy pool three years ago, 2019 was the first time the East Boston YMCA was able to offer a full year of swim lessons. The program taught over 600 children in the East Boston community how to swim safely.
“Since East Boston is 90 percent shoreline, it is a priority that the East Boston YMCA continues to financially support this program, allowing all families the opportunity to learn how to swim or participate in other programs that promote youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility,” said Gaeta.
Since 2008, Massport has awarded the East Boston Y with more than $375,000 to support its important work in the community.
“Massport is a proud partner of the YMCA of Greater Boston and supports its mission to build healthy and safe communities,” said Lisa Wieland Massport CEO. “The East Boston Branch greatly enriches the lives of its community members. We are happy to be a part of building a stronger community together.”
This year’s breakfast will again feature Rep. Adrian Madaro will serve as the event host.
“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,” said Madaro. “I look forward to helping 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.
For 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 have 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 after-school 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 contact Joseph Gaeta at [email protected] or 617-418-8320 or visit www.ymcaboston.org/eastboston/breakfast.