Mark Miller and Lisa Murphy
Miller and Murphy, Co-Chairs of the Rye YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign share their thoughts on the Y, summer camp, philanthropy and community.
Mark MillerI'm a big fan of the Y having been a member since moving to Rye in 1993. It's been an integral part of our family; all four of my children learned how to swim in the Y's "Gym and Swim" program, which was a Saturday ritual for my kids and me during all of their younger years. Since the Y’s expansion it’s also been my workout place of choice, the new facilities are phenomenal. As time has passed I've also made a commitment to get more involved with the Y and its community service aspects.
For the past two years, I’ve been a Board member and it’s been an eye opening experience. I’ve learned a lot about the Y. For example, summer camp is a huge program that takes place every year for 300-400 kids. What can I say about camp at the Y? You talk about the most fundamental experience a kid can have – one that he or she will remember forever – and that’s what the Y camp boils down to. It’s pretty basic, nothing fancy; but for those 40 or 50 days of summer, kids are having fun playing games, going on field trips, socializing with kids from all over. It’s what camp should be – a great memory pure and simple.
What I didn't realize until I joined the Y Board is that without our scholarship and financial aid programs a large percentage of these kids would not have been able to participate. This year alone the Y will be awarding $250,000 of financial assistance to kids and families that live right here in the surrounding communities served by the Rye Y. Not surprisingly given the economic times we currently live in, that is a 70% increase year over year.
Anyone spending just one day watching the interaction at our camp would feel a much higher sense of urgency around our annual Strong Kids Campaign. At our camp, kids get outside, they learn about teamwork, socialization, nutrition and exercise. It is important we try to provide a venue like this for the kids of our community who otherwise wouldn't get this exposure. That's what the Strong Kids Campaign is largely about.
Rye is a community that’s undergone a lot of stress. The economy has taken a toll on everyone’s budget and non-profits are under stress too. The Y is doing fine. We try to keep expenses under control with minimal increases. But dues don’t cover all our expenses and that’s where the Strong Kids campaign comes in. These funds help fill the gap so we can be sure that whoever wants to come to the Y can continue to do so.
That’s why I’m involved with the Y and the Strong Kids Campaign. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be calling on friends and neighbors to help out the Y. The need was huge this year and the Y extended a hand to those in need. I’m going to reach out to help the Y; they help me to help others. It’s that simple.
Lisa MurphyI guess you could say that my experience at the Y is fairly typical of someone who moves here with young children. I mean, we’ve grown up with the Y. We moved to Rye 13 years ago and started with Mommy and Me, moved onto after school kindergarten, swim lessons, then middle school teen nights and recently, my son received his lifeguard certification. There’s a sense of belonging here that occurs no matter what age you are or what activity you’re taking part in. The Y’s a community center where people come to feel good about themselves. You can come for teen night, gym and swim, wellness training, or a family concert – no matter what, you end up feeling better after you’ve been to the Y!
I’ve been a Board member for 6 years now and Co-chair of the Strong Kids Campaign for the last four. What strikes me about the Y is its commitment to being a welcoming place and being accessible so that anyone who wants to participate can do just that, without worrying about being turned away because of affordability. That’s the primary reason for the Strong Kids Campaign: to help fund the Y’s financial aid and scholarship program which this year, saw a 70% increase in the amount awarded compared to 2008. That’s astounding if you think about it, and a record amount for the Rye Y to give away in one year.
“Strong Kids” is somewhat of a misnomer for our annual campaign. The funds raised support all programs, not just ones for kids; it supports adults, families, and seniors too. It also subsidizes programs like teen nights on weekends when the fee is $5 for middle and high school kids. And it provides free pool time to community groups like the Rye Handicapped Association and to children with special needs who find the pool fun and comforting. We want to make it possible for anyone to come to the Y, and Strong Kids makes that possible.
Our financial goal this year is to raise $160,000 for the Y. But my personal goal is to see more members becoming involved. Over the past few years, we’ve received donations from only about 5% of the Y’s members. I’m not sure why that’s so low, but maybe members think a part of their membership fees goes towards subsidies and scholarships, but that’s not true. We want members to understand that membership fees and program costs don’t cover all that the Y does to help the community.
Another goal of mine is to help people understand that philanthropy and the spirit of giving can take many forms and start at any age. There’s a Teen Leaders Club at the Y where all they do is give back to the community through Y sponsored events. At the annual Derby race, we have tons of people helping out; volunteering your time is another great way to give to the Y.
I watched a video the other day of a little boy, around 10 years old, who because of his experience at the Y, has already promised to give back to the Y when he’s grown up and has a job. That’s the kind of place the Y is. Once you realize how much they do for our community, you can’t help but feel that giving back is the right thing to do.
The Strong Kids Campaign runs through December 31, 2009. For on-line giving, please visit www.ryeymca.org and click on the Strong Kids logo. Or for more information, please call Sally Wright at the Rye YMCA (914) 967-6363, ext. 202.
