YMCA Strong Kids Capital Campaign Celebrates Victory

On November 5th with the backdrop of the opening of the T. Boone Pickens YMCA, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas celebrated the completion of the $29.5 million YMCA Strong Kids Campaign.  The celebration was a culmination of a 5- year long Capital Campaign led by the tremendous leadership of Garrett Boone and Gail Madden. 

The Campaign which began in 2005 provided the YMCA the funding to expand service the children and families in the North Texas region by building two new YMCAs in Frisco and the Plano Russell Creek area along with significant renovations to eight additional YMCA. These community YMCAs included:  Camp Grady Spruce, Downtown, Grand Prairie, Lakewest, Moorland, Oak Cliff, Park South and Town North.

With the renovations and two new YMCAs on line, more than 20,000 members have joined the Dallas YMCA family.  These individuals help make up the more than 831,937 program participants the YMCA has served in the last year.

The Dallas YMCA has been serving the Dallas community 125 years, responding to the needs of the families of North Texas.  The YMCA Strong Kids Capital Campaign’s success assures that the YMCA will continue to expand and serve our community.  YMCA buildings offer locations for people to gather, but the real work of the YMCA shows through the connection the children and families make once they walk through the doors.  At the YMCA lives are transformed and we really do build strong kids, strong families, strong communities.

L to R  Helen Story, YMCA President/CEO Gordon Echtenkamp and Ruth Sharp Altshuler.

Campaign Co-Chairs Garrett Boone and Gail Madden share a celebratory hug. 

YMCA President/CEO, Gordon Echtenkamp presents Louis Beecherl, Campaign Advisory Committee Chair with a Spirit of the YMCA bronze statue.

Campaign Steering Committee member Ruben Esquivel receives recognition from Gail Madden along with Garrett Boone.

L to R Garrett Boone, Gail Madden, Sherwood Blount and  Gordon Echtenkamp.

Gordon Echtenkamp and Gifford Touchstone.

Louis Beecherl visits with friends.