GREENFIELD — Franklin County’s YMCA is about to kick off its annual fundraising campaign, and this year it has set a goal of $200,000, the largest ever.
“The Y isn’t just a gym-and-swim, even though that’s important,” CEO Grady Vigneau said. “We do so much more.”
He said everyone is welcome at the YMCA at 451 Main St. in Greenfield, and he, the board and staff want to make sure there are no barriers to membership, especially finances.
“It has been a tough time for so many who are struggling through the pandemic and were struggling before it,” he said. “The Y wants to be more than four walls. We want to partner with civic leaders, municipal leaders including the mayor, friends, neighbors, businesses, everyone.”
The closest the YMCA has come to raising $200,000 was two years ago when it raised $180,000. Vigneau said the nonprofit is taking a new approach this year by reaching out to not only members and past members, but businesses, too.
“We want to be a part of a team that’s working for the county, building a better Greenfield and Franklin County,” he said. “We’ve worked with others and been part of their teams, and now we’d like to ask for others to be part of our team.”
He hopes new partnerships will help alleviate the ever-increasing needs of the community. The focus of the annual campaign will be to raise money to help support scholarships to subsidize memberships for those who can’t afford them.
“We’ve always done that, but this year it’s more important than ever,” he said. “We want people to join, so we’ll find a way to make that happen.”
Vigneau said he’d like to bring back the “joyful” sound of members in the building and youths at camp.
“We want to hear the splashes in the pool, the laughter, the twang of a bow and arrow,” he said. “It has been a long time since children were able to attend Camp Apex. It was closed last summer because of the pandemic. Camp Apex has been sitting quiet. That’s not right.”
The YMCA is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state to make sure the camp opens safely this year.
“We’ll be following all guidelines, protocols,” he said. “We also want to provide scholarships to as many kids as possible so they can attend camp this year, whatever that’s going to look like.”
He said money raised during the annual campaign, which will run from the end of March through the end of April, will also be used to provide more virtual programs for those who are not ready to return to in-person classes.
“We provide livestreamed classes, so everyone knows everyone” he said. “We want people to be able to maintain those memberships.”
The Y made many modifications during the COVID-19 pandemic. It closed in March 2020 when the pandemic hit and reopened in a limited capacity on July 6.
“We’ll continue to be creative about it so that we have the most healthy environment for our members as we can,” he said. “The modifications we’ve already made and will have to make were never budgeted. Our dreams and goals are bigger, so the goal for our annual campaign is bigger this year as well.”
Vigneau said the Y has invited students to continue remote learning in its Guided Learning program. Though most children will return to school in April, parents have the option of keeping their children remote through the end of the school year.
“We’ve got parents who committed to stay with us, and we’re committed to them,” he said.
Vigneau and others will be approaching Franklin County businesses over the next several weeks to discuss the different levels of giving and how they can partner to benefit the community.
“We’d like their support, and we want to support them,” he said. “Together, we can all have a great impact on the county and its residents.”
Even though the “official” campaign runs from March 31 through April 30, the YMCA will continue fundraising through the end of the year.
“The real focus will happen over the next several weeks, though,” he noted.
For more information or to donate, visit your-y.org/donate.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.