Dear Friends, Were he still with us, my brother Peter would have celebrated his 57th birthday this week, on March 8. Like most kids growing up, he always looked forward to his birthday. But after turning 8, it wasn’t his favorite day of the year; that would be the day the Bear took him to…
As an organization that developed organized swim lessons, the YMCA is committed to bringing water safety skills to all children and families, with little to no cost to participate. With thousands of pools across the country, the Y is the solution for parents and caregivers looking for accessible water safety programming. Drowning is preventable, and…
In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the Boston Bruins Foundation joined forces with the Merrimack Valley YMCA to participate in Champion Her Game Girls in Sports Week! At the Lawrence YMCA, former Boston Bruins players Bob Sweeney and Andrew Raycroft, alongside members of the Boston Professional Women’s Hockey team Theresa Schafzahl…
On Thursday, January 25, the Merrimack Valley YMCA held its 143rd Annual Meeting at the Vault in Lawrence, MA. With over 160 attendees, YMCA staff and volunteers celebrated the accomplishments of the organization in its last fiscal year, especially the initiatives that the YMCA and its community were able to achieve together. A highlight of…
Within a year of taking the helm as Senior Pastor of Methuen’s First Church Congregation in 2016, Pastor Bill Ingraham connected with the YMCA. “I landed in the Merrimack Valley and was looking for how I would be involved in the community. I have a great passion for child safety, and for creating safe and…
When YMCA Board Member Hernan Guerrero was in 8th grade at St. Mary’s Elementary School in Lawrence, he met YMCA staffers Frank Kenneally (now YMCA President & CEO) and Craig Wilson who ran the school’s physical education program. “I was in another afterschool program that I didn’t love. At gym time, Frank said to come…
17-year-old Lauren Vincent drew from her experiences as a YMCA Assistant Group Leader in the School Age Child Care program when she wrote her college admissions essay: “Becoming a role model and learning how to adapt in the classroom, has helped me grow and adopt a global perspective on change. Every one of these kids…