ECCF Helps Ridgway YMCA Pave Their Way to Success

ECCF: 20 Years: celebrating our past ~ inspiring our future

This is the 10th in a series of articles on the Elk County Community Foundation (ECCF) during its 20th anniversary year, highlighting its history and impact in the community

ECCF helps Ridgway YMCA pave their way to success

ST. MARYS: Over it’s more than 100-year history, the Ridgway YMCA has provided a safe, caring environment, positive role models, creative activities, and opportunities to serve all ages, incomes, and abilities. Since 2005, the Elk County Community Foundation has helped to grow the mission of the YMCA by awarding 19 grants totaling $74,436. The $8,000 grant in 2010 from the Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund was used for to resurface the parking lot, add handicap accessible spots and painted lines to bring order to the parking situation, and enhance the area with some landscaping.

Other projects funded over the years include IPads for child care programs, gym floor remodeling project, room restorations, daycare playground, teen obesity feasibility study, capital campaign assistance, and beautification projects. These projects were made possible through grants from the Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund, the Elk County Society for Special Services Fund, the Harrison and Muriel Dauer Stackpole Family Fund, the Jeff and Sonya Marzella Donor Advised Fund, the Doug & Charlotte Dobson Fund, the Elk County Community Development Fund, and the Fund for the Future.

The Elk County Community Foundation works with generous individuals, organizations, and corporations to establish funds like these, administer the business aspects of the funds, and award grants on behalf of each individual fund. Together, local philanthropists and the Community Foundation help answer the needs of our communities by providing funding for worthy projects that make a difference.

The mission of the YMCA is to provide a community where all people, especially the young, are encouraged to develop to their fullest potential. This is achieved through programs that put Christian principles into practice that challenge us to build a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

Today, the local YMCA is used by over 1,000 members from Ridgway and surrounding towns. The YMCA offers many programs to benefit the community including a wide variety of fitness programs, boot camp, yoga, gymnastics, Silver Sneakers, water aerobics, summer camp, child care, preschool, before & after school program, cheerleading, and an indoor play area. Community support and fundraising programs are vital to the organization’s ability to offer these recreational and educational activities. Mary Lynne Bellotti, YMCA Director, stated, “the Ridgway YMCA is very thankful to ECCF for all their help with many of our projects over the years. We wouldn’t be where we are without the continued support of the Foundation.”

Elk County Community Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization that provides grantmaking support for the needs of our local communities from funds that it maintains and administers on behalf of multiple donors. As a public charity, the Community Foundations also seeks support from the general public to help grow and maintain general community development funds. For more information visit their website at www.elkcountyfoundation.org or call the office at 834.2125.

Photo: In 2010, an $8,000 grant from the Ridgway Borough Charitable Fund helped resurface the parking lot across from the Ridgway YMCA to increase access and provide a safe parking area for the members of the YMCA.