The New Elk River YMCA Makes a Difference

Elk River Y Partners campaign pulls in $54,180
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
by Jim Boyle
Editor

The Elk River YMCA reached its goal of raising $50,000 in its first Y Partners fund-raising campaign.

But under the direction of its fearless leader, Ron Touchette, there are no plans to stop there.

“That’s only a start,” Touchette said of his confidence in an ability to raise even more in the future and the community’s willingness to care about people in their community.

Dressed in shorts in hopes of bringing back summer, the YMCA community board chairman directed the board to go out and be ambassadors of the Y. He delivered a message of hope, and said it’s time to go out and distribute a message of hope.

“We need to make sure that our community knows that the Y is here, has programming for the entire family, and will not turn anybody away just because they have fallen on hard times,” he said.

Touchette admitted his goal of bringing summer back wasn’t reached, as the mercury continued to drop, but he says summer-like conditions exist within the walls of the YMCA.

Especially for the 5,000-plus people that the facility is serving. The Y Partners campaign pulled in pledges totaling $54,180 that will be available for scholarships to potential members of the Elk River YMCA. Every single dollar raised in Elk River will stay in Elk River. The campaign was led by Kim Reichel of the YMCA Community Board.

Touchette, a real estate broker by trade, relayed a story of a man who said the YMCA wasn’t an option for his family, as it was struggling to pay the rent. “We can give people hope,” he said.

YMCA staff members laid out the Personal Pricing Plan that makes the Y affordable to many families who may consider membership out of reach. They showed in concrete terms how potential members could be eligible for discounts of up to $75 down to $10 a month, depending on their financial situation.

The plan assigns a membership fee discount based on household income, the number of adults (maximum two) and the number of dependents.

And the Personal Pricing Plan does not require an appointment or even a sit-down meeting to go over financial information. Instead, it comes down to having a valid photo ID and a person’s most recent tax return to show their adjusted gross income.

Under the pricing plan a family of four with a household income of $35,000 would qualify for a discount of $75 a month.

A family of six with an household income of $60,000 would qualify for a $50 reduction. A family of three with a household income of $30,000 would qualify for a $75 discount. An individual with an income of $25,000 would qualify for a discount of $45.

“Nobody gets turned away,” Touchette said. “It’s easy and appropriate. There’s a place here for everyone and their family.” Elk River Star News