Campaign for a New Family Y
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Building What Matters:
The Campaign to Fund and Construct Our New Family Y
“Building What Matters” is the name of the Westport Weston Family Y’s campaign to build a sustainable new home that will allow us to continue to fulfill our mission, which is to enrich our entire community by developing and nurturing the potential of every individual, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility.
FAQs: Latest information about the construction of our new Y at Mahackeno (updated April 9, 2013)
Latest photos, video from the building site (May 15, 2013)
Latest News: Two $1 Million Gifts Bolster Campaign (March 21, 2013)
To view a brief video about our campaign for a new Y, please click on the image below.
Thanks to the steadfast support of our members, the tireless efforts of the volunteer leaders who guide us, and the selfless contributions from hundreds of donors from throughout our community and beyond, we are “Building What Matters!”
On February 5, 2013, we held our official groundbreaking ceremony. “The Y has always served as a center of community life and wellness for our local citizens of all ages,” said Jim Marpe, Chair of the Family Y’s governing Board of Trustees. “Today, we are taking a very important next step in assuring that our mission of community center and wellness continues, not just for the current generation of those who live and work in our towns, but also for future generations of local families for decades to come.”
Work at our Family Y's 32-acre Mahackeno campus continues each day, as our modern new 54,000 sq. ft. facility rises from the ground. As of mid-May, the concrete foundation is largely in place. By mid-June, the steel frame of our new home will begin to take shape. The building site is abuzz with activity -- see for yourself by joining us for one of our guided tours, held each Wednesday at 12:15 pm. To sign up for a site visit, please contact Susie Haydon at 203-226-8981, ext. 106 or email her via .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
To see new views of what our new Y will look like, from the outside and inside, please click here.
And please click on the image below to hear Allen Raymond, Y Trustee Emeritus, addressing his fellow Y leaders and supporters at a reception following our groundbreaking ceremony.
The campaign was initiated in early 2011 following the dismissal of the last of the legal challenges brought by neighbors regarding the approval process to build a new Family Y at our Mahackeno Outdoor Center property. Please click on this link to read more about the favorable ruling and what it means for our new Family Y.
In February 2012, the Family Y announced that our new Y facility will be built in stages, keeping pace with fundraising for the facility and ensuring the financial sustainability of the Family Y as a community center focused on developing youth, promoting healthy living for all and fostering a sense of social responsibility.
In all, the Family Y has identified $34.3 million in funding, including proceeds from the agreed-upon sale of its current home, built by Mr. Bedford in 1923 and expanded over time. Current estimates for the total cost of the first phase of the new Y are $38.5 million, leaving a funding gap of $4 million.
“We’re optimistic that the Boards’ decision to move forward will motivate Y supporters who until now have been in a ‘wait-and-see’ mode toward giving,” said Rob Reeves, Family Y CEO. “Every dollar donated from this point forward makes for a better Y.”
View List of Contributors to Building What Matters, through May 21, 2012 (pdf)
To make a safe and secure online donation to our capital campaign, please click here.
The Y received a Building Permit from the Town on February 25, allowing the construction of the first stage of the new Y, a 54,000 sq. ft. facility that will include a 10-lane, 25-yard lap pool and adjacent warm-water family/teaching/therapeutic pool; expansive Health & Wellness Center; multi-purpose Gymnasium; three group-fitness studios; a Child Watch/Kids’ Adventure Gym area; five locker rooms, including one for those with dependent care; and other amenities of a modern, family-oriented Y facility.
The first stage of our new Y will be built on a portion of the footprint that has been approved by the Town, with subsequent phases also within that footprint. Upon completion of all construction stages, the Family Y at Mahackeno will comprise 102,000 sq. ft. and is expected to include a Gymnastics Center, Child Care wing and expanded Aquatics and Health & Wellness areas.
The Building What Matters campaign leaders are continuing their efforts to reach out to local foundations, businesses and individuals with the means to make a significant investment in the Family Y’s future. A more public, grass-roots phase of this campaign was launched in early 2013.
Called “Picture Yourself at the New Family Y,” the innovative project involves the creation of a large wall mural at the new facility to be composed of thousands of individual photographs of Y members and supporters.
For a tax-deductible contribution of $100 per photo to the Y’s “Building What Matters” capital campaign, donors will be able to include a favorite photo or photos in a mosaic of “The Westport-Weston YMCA,” a watercolor by artist Kassie Foss of the Family Y’s historic Bedford Building, home of the Family Y since 1923.
The interactive online project may be found at www.pictureyournewy.org, where contributors will also be able to locate their photos, as well as search for those of friends and neighbors. .
For more information about our campaign to Build What Matters, please contact Rob Reeves, Chief Executive Officer, at 203-226-8981, ext.131, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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fax: 203.454.4840 or 203.221.8390
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