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caption:
Donation
Raymond Lathrop , left, Danielson Big Y store director, presents a check for the Regional Community YMCA to Ronald P. Coderre, project campaign council. The gift brings the fund-raising campaign to $2.2 million. Courtesy photo.
Regional YMCA
nearing goals
Special to the Putnam Town Crier
A recent surge of pledges and gifts has brought the community fund-raising for the Regional Community YMCA “Building A Dream” campaign to $2.2 million. The ultimate goal is $2.5 million.
Spurred on by the words of former UConn Hall of Fame basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who is serving as the campaign honorary chairperson with his wife Pat, the campaign has witnessed a concerted effort to culminate the $2.5 million fund-raising and reach the ultimate construction goal of $13 million. The donor event was held in October
A gift of $25,000 from Price Chopper/The Golub Family Foundation was received shortly following the October event. Other gifts have been secured recently including the most recent leadership gift from Big Y and the D’Amour Family Foundation.
According to the latest reports, the community fund-raising effort has reached $2.2 million thanks to these
recent gifts and a number of pledges received from members of the northeastern Connecticut community. An effort to reach out to the entire area is planned for the beginning of 2013 when a mailing will be going out as the campaign aims to raise the final $300,000 needed to reach its goal.
The leadership team of the Regional Community YMCA, Chairpersons Dr. Woody Danenhower and his wife Sylvia, Paul Kelly, Atty. Thomas A. Borner, Nancy Weiss, Dr. Marc and Atty. Kate Cerrone and Delpha Very, along with Betty and Laurence Hale, are continuing contacts with local businesses and individuals. The team is also beginning the process of formulating an Advisory Board that will meet regularly with members of the Greater Hartford YMCA to help in finalizing the types of programs the facility will support.
The proposed 40,000-square-foot facility, estimated at a cost of $13 million, has surpassed $11.445 million through a $3 million gift from the Newell D. Hale Foundation, a grant from the State of Connecticut of $3.745 million, the community campaign and support of the Greater Hartford YMCA. The facility will feature two pools — a competition pool and a warm water exercise pool — a gymnasium, fitness center and a teen center, which is being made possible through the Beagary Charitable Trust.
According to Greater Hartford YMCA President and CEO James O’S Morton, at the October event, construction of the Y is hoped to begin in the spring of 2013 with the opening of the facility projected for late summer of 2014. Morton and his team have been working closely with Town of Putnam officials, Wheelabrator-Putnam representatives and the State of Connecticut in coordinating efforts to maintain the current schedule.