The Rotary Club was delighted to welcome Sharon Hayward, CEO of the Downtown YMCA.
Sharon began her talk by thanking the club for our involvement in a community project - with the Life Saving Society, in having a life jacket loaner station at the YMCA. The Rotary Club has a long history of involvement in swimming and water safety in the community and the Y's proximity to the river made this effort a natural fit.
Sharon also spoke about their annual Strong Kids campaign, which is the Y's main fundraising activity. The YMCA believes that physical activity is essential for everyone, for their health and to reach their athletic potential. The campaign allowed the Y in 2017 to assist 363 children with memberships, and send 71 kids to camp. As well, it provided almost $40,000 in community donations to other charities for fundraising activities. In total approx. 8% of the total membership received financial assistance.
She also spent some time talking about other Y programs, such as Get Active and Living Fit.
A very well prepared and informative talk.