$40K donation from Kiwanis Club boosts Jackson YMCA capital campaign
JACKSON, MI — A new “healthy living campus” for the Jackson YMCA is closer to reality with a donation from Jackson’s Kiwanis Club.
The Kiwanis Club and Kiwanis Foundation of Jackson are contributing $40,000 to the Y’s donation drive to fund a new downtown facility. It’s one of the largest donations in the two organizations’ history, coming after a $45,000 contribution to the Jackson County Splash Pad at the Cascades about five years ago.
Kiwanis, which focuses on community service for children, had been approached for a way to help with the climbing wall in the YMCA, Kiwanis Club President Jim Philo said, adding the group soon recognized it wanted to contribute to the capital campaign as well.
“It’s a way for us to get involved with kids and support an organization that provides programs for kids,” Philo said. “That was really the reason for doing that, because Kiwanis is looking for places where we can provide support for kids.”
Kiwanis Club has about 80 active members, Philo said. About half of the funds were provided by its charitable foundation arm and the other half come from the club. He said the donation in part replaced some of the activities the Kiwanis Club normally does within the community, as potential community involvement was limited because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was a way that we could provide and help the community, as well as help the kids,” Philo said. “That’s a real gem in the city of Jackson, having a Y.”
The donation follows a significant fundraising year for the campaign to replace the 60-year-old building at 127 W. Wesley St. More than $7 million was raised from a matching donation campaign from Consumers Energy. Other notable donations came from local businesses like Alro Steel, the foundation arm of Dawn Foods, Kelly Fuels and more. The capital campaign now has more than $20 million.
The exact funding goal of the project has yet to be announced, but YMCA officials hope to break ground on the new facility in 2021. A nearly finalized design and construction cost estimate could become public by the end of the year, officials previously said.
Related: Anonymous donor adds $1M to fundraising efforts for new Jackson YMCA
The new 75,000-square-foot building is expected to have childcare, be more accessible, have a state-of-the-art aquatics center and include 24-hour access, among other amenities. Officials said they can mold the design to the needs of the community and the amount of funds raised.
“Both Kiwanis and the YMCA have been serving youth and families in Jackson for generations. We are honored and thankful they are supporting the Y and the community with such a significant gift,” Shawna Tello, Jackson YMCA CEO, said in a statement. “Every day the Y reaches kids, adults and families with programs that teach, encourage and connect. The generous gift from the Kiwanis Club, added to the support from our many donors, will give the Y and our program partners an amazing platform from which we can expand our reach and increase our impact.”
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