The Spier Family of Foxborough is issuing a challenge grant to Hockomock Area YMCA members, donors, local businesses and partners. For the third straight year, a generous $25,000 matching gift challenge is being offered. The Spiers are matching every donation made July 8 through July 21 up to $25,000, which will result in an additional $50,000 to provide more kids with a summer camp experience in August.
Children and families who face financial challenges are welcomed each day to enjoy a YMCA experience in a place where they are nurtured and where they belong. On average 1,300 kids attend Hockomock Y camps each summer day, including YMCA camps located in Bellingham, Foxboro, Franklin, Mansfield, and North Attleboro.
Last year, the Y provided $180,985 in confidential scholarships for summer camp; more than 20% of campers received some form of financial assistance. As the need continues to grow, the generous Spier Challenge gift will provide more opportunities for kids to experience camp this summer. Many family budgets are increasingly strained, placing a hardship on children in area communities, especially during the summer when they may not have access to quality care, active outdoor fun, and healthy meals each day. To learn more and make a gift, visit www.hockymca.org/camp-challenge.
Kids deserve to be active, happy and care-free, especially during the summer months. Summer days are longer, warmer and more enjoyable for children to explore the world around them. This is exactly the setting YMCA member Mary needed and wanted for her son Parker. “It was kindergarten going into first grade when we experienced camp for the first time and my son went for two weeks. I was still a stay at home Mom, but just to have that opportunity to give him a break from having to go to his Dad’s cancer treatments those two weeks out of the summer really helped.
Last summer Parker attended summer camp for the whole summer and that’s because his Dad had passed and I had gone back to work and I didn’t know how I was going to be able to take care of my son and still provide for him. I think his favorite counselors really made an impact on his life, for which I’m forever grateful,” says Mary.
“The Y is important to kids like Parker, but also to all the other kids. The benefits of summer camp are phenomenal. Becaues of the Reach Out for Youth & Families assistance program, my son was able to have these opportunities when we couldn’t afford them. It not only gave my son a sense of normalcy during a time that wasn’t normal for him but it also gave me the opportunity to have a stress relief by having a membership to the Y for myself.”
Greg and Kathy Spier, long time Foxborough residents, Y members and volunteers, and community leaders, are passionate about improving the quality of life in their community. The Spier Family name is prominently displayed on the indoor and outdoor aquatics centers at the Y’s Invensys Foxboro Branch. The Spiers are also benefactors of the SPLASH program which has resulted in teaching hundreds of local school children how to be safe around water, learn to swim, and begin enjoying swimming as lifelong recreation.
“Our family has always believed in giving back to the community we love and our Mom and Dad modeled the importance of paying it forward. There is something magical about summer camp that every child needs and deserves. Through this challenge, together with our community, we can provide more kids an opportunity to experience their best summer ever at the Hockomock Area YMCA camps,” said Greg Spier. When asked why the Spiers are issuing this challenge, Greg Spier shared, “Kathy and I give because our hearts feel good when we do so, and we advocate for the Y because we know the Y strengthens families and communities. Summer camp provides a special opportunity to shape a kid’s life while building confidence and self-esteem.”
Ed Hurley, President of the Hockomock Area YMCA expressed, “We are so grateful to the Spier Family for their continued commitment and confidence in our YMCA. This donor challenge and the gifts that will result means more children will have the opportunity to experience the magic of summer camp at the Y.
Our Y has a proud yet ever-growing history of inclusiveness. Whether it’s a family that cannot afford a Y camping experience for their children or a teenager who struggles with bullying at school, we continually extend our arms, welcoming them into our Y family. We are grateful to be part of 15 communities full of caring, committed people who share the values of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility,” said Hurley.
In 2018, the Hockomock Area YMCA provided $ $2,111,811 in confidential scholarship assistance and program subsidies.
To learn more and make a gift, visit www.hockymca.org/camp-challenge.
Issue Date:
July, 2019
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