Letter from the CEO: May 2014
Dear Members,
We have a lot of interesting stuff going on at the Y in the coming months, and I know you are very curious about what is in store for our facilities, people and programs. Here are some updates on what's going on at your Y:
Work on the bubble at the Arapahoe Y is going ahead of schedule, and the pool should be open for the Memorial Day weekend. And then it should never close again (except for maintenance). We expect the bubble will go up each October and then come down again every May. Not only will the bubble be an added bonus for our members, swim team and local swimmers, but it will really help the Y with its goal of giving free water safety lessons to all second graders in Boulder Valley School District. We will be looking for volunteers to help teach those classes starting in the fall. Volunteers for this ground-breaking program do not need any experience; our aquatics staff will teach you as well as provide childcare if you have kids at home. The lessons will take place during the school day.
[caption id="attachment_155" align="alignnone" width="550"]
A mock-up of the bubble at the Arapahoe pool[/caption]
Our annual gala, Y Splash, will be on June 14 this year. The money raised during this beautiful annual event will support scholarships for local kids and families for YMCA programs. Around one-third of our members and program participants are on financial assistance, and we will never turn anyone away because of their inability to pay. Y Splash helps us make that promise to children, families and seniors in this community. Tickets are available online.
In October of this year, the YMCA of Boulder Valley will celebrate its 140th anniversary. We are putting together a timeline, displays and some interesting facts around this big milestone. You should see more about it throughout the summer.
Lastly, when summer hits, the Y is crazier than normal. We are flooded with kids and families spending time together and enjoying the Colorado sun. This year, our camps will serve around 7,000 kids during the course of the summer. Many of our camps are there to make sure the kids have a good time and are safe when school is not in session. We do that—and we do it well…but we also recognize that we have a great opportunity to better our kids. We develop these programs to combat summer learning loss, increase self-confidence, promote values and respect and focus on several other dimensions of growth. This is the difference of Y programs. No person, program or organization is perfect, so I ask that you become the eyes and ears of the Y. Let us know if you see anything that we can improve upon. Also, because of the volume, the Y can get messier. So we have hired additional day porters to clean and keep up with any issues in the locker rooms. Report to us right away if you see something that we should take care of—and we will.
I appreciate you being a part of the Y and helping us to fulfill our mission in the community. As always if you have a suggestion, please let me know [email protected].
Thank You,
Chris Coker
CEO/President of YMCA of Boulder Valley