First published in the Grand Traverse Insider, Sunday, January 29. 2012
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by Tom Van
Deinse, CEO
Grand
Traverse Bay YMCA
My
February Resolutions
The
good news? I did not break my 2012
resolution to never procrastinate. The
bad news is that I put off my 2012 resolutions until today! So, better late than never, here are my
February resolutions:
I
resolve to take off this winter weight before spring.
I
know I’m not alone, but I know I’ll do it, too.
After all the holiday meals, I’ve finally resumed a better diet, and I’m
hitting more tennis balls and enjoying the sauna at the Y. Others are giving the Y treadmills a workout
or enjoying the greatly expanded menu of exercise classes.
As
the CEO of the Y, I resolve to help the rest of the community get healthier,
too.
That’s
why we’re hosting a smoking cessation class, offering a program called YMCA Youth
Working on Wellness (Y Youth WOW), and providing more opportunities to join the
Y with our financial assistance program and free joiner fee period through
Valentine’s Day.
I
resolve to share the Y story.
In
a recent membership campaign, we registered over 600 new YMCA members. How did we do it? We let the Y programs sell themselves. Some just wanted to lose weight, like me, and
some wanted to tone up. Others wanted to
enjoy year-round pickleball, tennis, or basketball. Still others were looking to take advantage
of the member discounts on popular programs like gymnastics, child care, YMCA
Pop Warner football, or lacrosse. At the
YMCA you and your family can get fit and have fun for less! It’s a great story that everyone should hear.
I
resolve to get the New Y open in 2013.
Of
course, the credit for the hard work of raising the funds goes to the
volunteers and community members. Rob and
Phyllis Foster, Dave and Beth Howard, and Jerry and Don Oleson teamed up with
nearly 900 donors to get us to the point where construction of the New Y can
begin this spring. Volunteers like Henry
Peet and Paul Schmuckal and scores of others will make my New Y resolution an
easy one to fulfill.
I
further resolve to offer anyone who missed the chance to support the New Y
before the end of 2011 the chance to support it now. You’ll be recognized as
part of this great community success story, no matter what size your gift. The New Y will be built on gifts ranging from
$5 to $2 million, validating that the YMCA’s focus on youth development,
healthy living, and social responsibility really is, as our mission states,
“for all”.
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| Tom Van Deinse CEO, GT Bay YMCA |
My
final 2012 resolution is to complete my 2013 resolutions before December 31
this year… if I get around to it!
For
more information about YMCA programs or the New Y contact CEO Tom Van Deinse at
tvd@gtbayymca.org, call 933-YMCA, or
visit www.gtbayymca.org.
