Carl and Mamie Berger – A Generation of Giving
Carl Berger’s YMCA story starts a generation before him, when his father was part of Lawrence YMCA’s Hamblet Health Club, working out daily on his lunch break.
From childhood at Y camps to swimming at the Lawrence Y to his own weekday workouts at the Andover Y, Carl’s commitment to the Y is part of who he is – he has been part of the Y for decades.
His first Y experience was with his family for their annual trip to Lake Winnipesaukee for Family Camp at Camp Lawrence on Bear Island.
“I grew up on Tower Hill,” he said of his Lawrence roots. “I went to the JCC as a kid, but always looked forward to family camp. I liked staying in the camp cabins.”
When Carl returned back to the area after graduating from Suffolk University Law School, he too joined the Hamblet Health Club. “Instead of eating lunch, my former law partner Jim Hyde and I joined other Y noon time runners including: (former Lawrence Y Executive Director) Walter Kimball, Peter Slipp, Ed Grimley, and Jim Henderson. There were always five to seven of us who wouldn’t lace up for less than a 6-miler. We would start at the Lawrence Y and run to the North Andover Common and back. On inclement weather days I would run the old track at the Y. (A steep, short indoor track on the second floor of the Y.) A mile on that track is 64 laps. Not fun!”
Carl’s commitment to the city of Lawrence, and the Lawrence Y in particular, was how he became involved as a YMCA volunteer. Carl joined the Y’s Corporate Board of Directors, helped start the Auction gala, and served on the SRO Committee to relaunch the Y’s single occupancy housing in Lawrence.
“The Y needed an infusion of money for the rehab and a stream of government funding was very important to the Y to support the housing program,” he said. “They were able to hire a full-time counselor for the men and fix up ancillary services such as the fitness center.”
Carl is proud of that work. “I think the Y has become diversified and a mirror of the community, which is a very good thing. I like the very visible support that they offer if you need it. Here at the Andover Branch, I see the food collection bins and the mobile food van stops here to collect food.”
“I’ve been a member of the Y for a long, long time. It’s kind of like the bar at Cheers. It is a safe place to be and a place that’s welcoming,” said Carl. “The Y responds to the needs of families: teaching kids to swim, child care opportunities for working parents, options for exercising and staying healthy, or just shooting the breeze in the locker room. It’s a feel-good experience.”
Helping to start the endowment and committing a legacy gift to the Y as a founding member of the Heritage Society was a natural way to have meaningful and lasting impact.
“I’m proud to have been a founding member of the Heritage Society,” Carl said. “Mamie and I look forward to getting together with other Heritage Society members each year to enjoy fellowship and to hear member stories of inspiration and impact about why the YMCA is so important to them. Supporting the YMCA’s endowment fund will ensure that this organization is strong for generations to come.”
