President's Message
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Dear Friends,
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures out there. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Thank you for being incredible role models and impacting the children in your life. You may not know this, but Father’s Day was actually invented at the YMCA. It began at a YMCA in the state of Washington, initiated by Sonora Louise Smart. She was the daughter of a widower Civil War veteran and a single father. On Mother’s Day in 1909, Sonora heard a sermon honoring mothers and wondered why there was no holiday for fathers. During a meeting at the Spokane YMCA, she shared her concern with ministers. That conversation led to the nation’s first Father’s Day celebration, which took place at that very same Y on June 19, 1910.
In addition to our fathers, we have another reason to celebrate! Last month we surpassed our Annual Campaign goal and raised over $1.9 million that will be reinvested directly back into our community through scholarships and subsidized programming! Your generosity ensures that every child in our community can benefit from a Y experience, regardless of their family’s financial capacity. The Tampa Y has and always will be dedicated to building healthy, confident, connected and secure children, adults and families. I deeply believe in our mission and the Y’s capacity to change lives, to promote cohesion in our neighborhoods, to instill values in our youth, and to strengthen the foundations of our community.
And now, with summer in full swing, one of the ways we are strengthening the foundations of our community is our efforts around drowning prevention. Filling this critical community void is a constant priority for the Tampa YMCA. Last year, the Tampa YMCA helped over 13,000 children learn to swim and be safe in and around the water. This is critical considering that more children under the age of four drown in Florida than anywhere else in the nation. We offer a variety of group and private lessons for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children and teens and adults. Our certified swim instructors work with individuals to build confidence in the water, develop self-rescue skills and hone swimming techniques. We maintain a safe and secure environment during all lessons, with lifeguards on duty and a strict adherence to safety protocols.
June is also one of our favorite times of the year. It’s camp season, and summer camp is one of the most impactful programs we offer. As you read this, thousands of children are smiling, playing, thriving, and making new friends at our summer day camps throughout Tampa Bay. Our amazing staff, and camp counselors – some of whom were introduced to summer camp as previous campers themselves, are excellent at what they do and are working hard to create a safe, constructive and creative summer experience for our local youth. Thanks to everyone involved in making this another great and memorable summer at the Y. And, as always, we couldn’t do any of this without your support. Please donate here if you missed the opportunity to give to our Annual Campaign and want to help send a child to camp.
Your faith in our organization to positively impact our community is greatly appreciated.
With Gratitude,
Matt Mitchell
President & CEO
813.224.9622