By Kristen McConnell—
MUNCIE, IN—The YMCA of Muncie is gathering community support for a new facility located on the campus of Muncie Central High School. Local East Central Region philanthropy leaders for the IU Health Foundation approved a multi-year pledge of $5 million from its ECR Community Health Fund to go towards the $31 million campaign.
IU Health East Central Region’s President, Dr. Jeffrey Bird, has been involved with the YMCA project for nearly three years and serves on the campaign cabinet. Bird said it was an easy decision to commit his time and resources to the project because of the importance and impact the new Y will have on the community’s health outcomes. “With the efforts that IU Health and the YMCA are working on together, I am confident we will continue to see a positive impact on the health of East Central Indiana. It makes the work even more rewarding to partner with an organization that has such deep community roots.” Bird, who considers himself a Y kid, has fond memories of participating in programs at the Y and weeklong summer adventures at Camp Crosley, where he was provided a scholarship to attend.
YMCA CEO, Chad Zaucha said, “We are ecstatic over IU Health’s contribution to this transformational community project. Simply put, this effort would not be possible without their significant partnership and investment. Dr. Bird’s leadership has been nothing short of exceptional and his passion and commitment to seeing this through has been unwavering.” Zaucha went on to say, “The impact of the Y’s vision coming to fruition has the potential to drastically impact quality of life and quality of place initiatives while enhancing economic development and improving health outcomes for our community.”
The public phase of the campaign, led by Tara Smalstig and Chris Cook, is going on now and seeking help from the community to wrap up the fundraising efforts. If you’re interested in learning more about the campaign or making an investment contact Kristen McConnell at kmcconnell@muncieymca.org or visit the website at muncieymca.org
About the YMCA of Muncie
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA of Muncie has served Delaware and Kosciusko Counties since 1881, with an excellent track record of providing quality mission driven programs that enrich the lives of all people in spirit, mind and body.
Visit the Y online at www.muncieymca.org or on Social Media @YMCA of Muncie.
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