Hollister
– The YMCA of San Benito County will begin its seventh annual
Community Support Campaign on Tuesday, aiming to raise $80,000 to
help keep children involved in its after-school programs.
Hollister – The YMCA of San Benito County will begin its seventh annual Community Support Campaign on Tuesday, aiming to raise $80,000 to help keep children involved in its after-school programs.
The money raised will go to families in need of financial assistance to participate in the YMCA’s after-school program or other programs such as karate, yoga, summer camps, dance and youth sports, said Lou Bettencourt, executive director of the YMCA of San Benito County.
Margie Barrios, the chairwoman of the YMCA’s board of directors, said the fundraiser benefits the families of the children who participate in the programs by providing a sound environment in which to grow.
“This $80,000 goes a long way to providing the services that are needed in our community,” Barrios said.
The YMCA will use the contacts of each of the 40 campaigners it has recruited so far to solicit donations from county residents, Bettencourt said. The campaign runs for six weeks, starting Tuesday and running through Mar. 27, Barrios said.
In 2001, when the campaign began, the YMCA set out to raise $25,000, Bettencourt said. That year, the fundraiser netted $37,000 for its programs. In 2006, the goal was $75,000, and $80,000 was raised, he said.
“It’s evidence that this community works very hard to raise money in such a short time,” Barrios said.
The campaign comes on the heels of grant money from California Proposition 49, which designated $300,000 to provide three after-school programs, which focus on education and sports, through the Hollister School District and San Juan-Aromas School District, Bettencourt said.
The funding made it possible for 80 students at Sunnyslope Elementary School, 80 students at Gabilan Hills Elementary School and 75 students at San Juan School to participate in the YMCA after-school program, Bettencourt said. Each school received $100,000 and the programs were up and going Tuesday, he said.
Proposition 49 brought the county’s after-school program total to 320 children, up from 130, he said.
“We love the fact that we’re able to provide role models outside of the family,” Bettencourt said.
The YMCA also focuses on teaching children important values, such as caring, respect, responsibility and honesty, Barrios said.
Qualification for assistance in YMCA programs is determined by a sliding scale that considers family size and income, Bettencourt said.
Bettencourt said donors can be assured their money is being put to good use.
“The bottom line is we believe we are running quality programs,” he said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or
mv*********@fr***********.com
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