The YMCA at Gothenburg Health joins other YMCA branches during December in a special fundraising effort called the YMCA Annual Campaign to raise funds for community members that may need financial assistance to use the YMCA.  

According to YMCA board member, Niki Salomon, the best part about the campaign is that each dollar raised will stay in Gothenburg to support children, adults, families, and seniors who cannot afford the full cost of membership or programming.

For 2022 the YMCA board developed a Top 10 Reasons to give to the YMCA Annual Campaign list. “We are encouraging each donor to choose a reason from that list when submitting their donation, and we plan to feature them at the entrance to the Gothenburg YMCA. For our family, it will be hard to choose just one reason; we see the benefits of our local YMCA every day and love to use many features of our amazing Y,” Salomon said.

Mick Brant, CEO of Gothenburg Health, said, “Larry Gill was one of the strongest and most vocal supporters of the YMCA during the capital campaign. Larry’s dream was to build a community recreation center that was accessible to everyone. The annual campaign is specifically designed to raise funds for scholarships so that every child and family has access to use the YMCA. I personally give because I have seen the impact that their programs have on kids in our community, but in the back of my mind, giving is also my way of honoring the memory of Larry Gill.”

The local branch relies on annual campaign dollars to offer scholarships for the entire year. As the YMCA enrollment grows, and the need for scholarships follows that growth. The goal has increased by $5000 from last year to a total of $37,000, according to Salomon. The campaign ends December 31, 2022.