State, local officials to visit Upper Main Line YMCA

BERWYN >> Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan will welcome local officials to the Upper Main Line YMCA on Aug. 14 at 9 a.m.

Denise Day, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine and the Lancaster Family YMCA and Ken Goddu, Chair of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine Board of Directors and Executive VP and Director of Commercial Specialized Banking for Fulton Financial Corporation will offer remarks.

Officials attending include state lawmakers Dan Williams and Melissa Shusterman, Easttown Board of Supervisors members, James Oram, Jr. and Marc Heppe, Superintendent of Police, Tredyffrin Police Department, T. Michael Beaty, Superintendent of Unionville-Chadds-Ford District, Dr. John Sanville and representatives from the offices of Sen. Pat Toomey, Sen. Katie muth and State Representative Carolyn Comitta.

The hour-long program will kick off with attendees witnessing summer camp opening ceremonies, as nearly 500 children and youth participate in a camp cheer to start their day at Upper Mail Line YMCA’s 54-acre campus. There will also be a peek at the environmental programs offered by the YMCA with a flying demonstration by one of the resident raptors – a hawk or great horned owl.

The event will showcase the YCMA’s three pillars of programming: Healthy Living, Social Responsibility and Youth Development, and feature testimonials of how the Y works to keep Chester County healthy while ensuring a culture of inclusivity, or being a place “for all”.

One of the main programs that will be highlighted during the event is Power Scholars. Power Scholars is a five-week summer program designed to tackle summer learning loss in children entering first through sixth grades, while also fostering physical, social and emotional growth. There is no cost to the students or their families, as the YMCA raises all needed funds for the program. The program, now wrapping up its fourth year, has expanded into three

branches and had more than 175 children enrolled this year.

Additional presentations will be made on the Y’s Diabetes Prevention and Youth and Government programs, as well as a performance from the upcoming show “Matilda” by kids from the Upper Main Line YMCA Community Theater. Tours will be offered following the presentations.

“One of the best ways to tackle the challenges many of the children, adults and families in our community face is to work sideby-side with our neighbors, community partners and elected officials,” said Denise Day, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine and the Lancaster Family YMCA. “I am greatly looking forward to this event. It provides an opportunity for our representatives to see the Y mission in action, while we discuss how to best build, strengthen and support our communities.”