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Honored

 Pictured at YMCA Celebrates Champions are Jackie McBee, who accepted the Youth Development Award on behalf of her son, Theus; Harold Sparrow, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Hartford; Alicia Unger, recipient of the Healthy Living Award, and Betty Hale, who accepted the Social Responsibly Award on behalf of the Newell D. Hale Foundation. Courtesy photo.

 

 

HARTFORD — More than $140,000 was raised recently at YMCA Celebrates Champions, helping to make the YMCA’s innovative and life-changing programs and services accessible to youth, families, and adults regardless of their ability to pay. Keynote speaker Jim Calhoun addressed a crowd of over 300 people and Fox 61’s Tim Lammers emceed the event and kept the bidding high during the night’s live auction and paddle raise—which raised funds for Y memberships, participation in the YMCA’s LIVESTRONG cancer survivors program, residential camping experiences, and water safety programming for young people.

 YMCA President and CEO Harold Sparrow presented awards to three YMCA Champions embody the Y’s pillars: Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility.

 Honored during the event were:

Theus McBee for Youth Development. McBee is a graduate of the YMCA’s Y-Achievers Program and the University of Connecticut, and now works for the National Basketball Association.

 Alicia Unger for Healthy Living: Unger is a volunteer with the YMCA’s LIVESTRONG cancer survivor program. A survivor herself, she now gives her time to help others recovering from cancer treatment.

The Newell D. Hale Foundation for Social Responsibility: The Foundation led efforts to fund-raiser and build community support for the new Hale Family YMCA Youth & Family Center in Putnam.