The )MCA sTrengThens CoMMuniTies...help of the Shartel Church of God and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Y was able to host an emergency camp site for children and families

ADVOCACY • ATHLETICS • ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT •

BASKETBALL • CONNECTING PEOPLE •

CHILD CARE • CARING INSTRuCTORS •

DISCOVERY • DEVELOPMENT •

EXERCISE • EDuCATION • FRIENDSHIP •

FAMILY FuN • GROuP WELLNESS •

GuIDANCE • HuNGER PREVENTION •

HEALTHY COOKING • IMAGINATION

• JuMP ROPE • JOB TRAINING •

KNOWLEDGE • LuNGES •

LEADERSHIP • MENTORS • MILITARY OuTREACH •

NATuRE CAMP • NuRTuRE POTENTIAL • OuTDOOR

ACTIVITIES • OLDER ADuLT WELLNESS • PuSH-uPS •

PREVENTION • QuALITY FAMILY TIME • STRONGER

COMMuNITIES • SWIMMING • SERVICE-LEARNING •

TEAMWORK • TuTORING • uNLIMITED FuN

• VOLuNTEERISM • WELL-BEING• WALKING

CLuB • YOuTH SPORTS • YOuTH AND

GOVERNMENT

The YMCA sTrengThensCoMMuniTies

From A to Z, we offer a variety of experiences tonurture the potential of every child and teen, adult

and senior; improve the nation’s health and well-being and provide support to our neighbors.

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2014 Annual Campaign_Layout 1 12/2/13 10:31 PM Page 1

…these letters may spell “give,” but whenyour donation goes to support the YMCA ofgreater oklahoma City, it means so muchmore. That’s because Y-M-C-A is so muchmore than a gym…it’s a cause.

The Y is a charity, dedicated to youth development, healthy living andsocial responsibility. For nearly 125 years, we’ve been proud to help ourneighbors learn, grow and thrive.

With programs from A to Z—like athletics to advocacy, mentors to militaryoutreach, swimming to service learning —we don’t just strengthenindividuals, we strengthen our entire community.

The Greater Oklahoma City area faces challenges that create a strongerneed than ever for the work we do. Fortunately, where some see obstacles,we see opportunities for our members, volunteers, staff, and generousdonors like you, to make a difference.

every gift matters. everyone has a role to play. Together, we can achieve so much more. Ve

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ourCAuse

sTrengThening TheFounDATion oF CoMMuniTY

We belieVe The greATer oklAhoMA CiTY AreA CAn be so MuCh More.

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YouTh DeVeloPMenT Syrena

YouTh DeVeloPMenTAll kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can

achieve, under the guidance of adults who care about them and believe in their

potential. We see every interaction with young people as an opportunity for

learning and development.

It wasn't until Syrena was 11years old that I found out aboutthe YMCA’S Camp Classen inDavis, Oklahoma. I had neverattended camp as a child becausemy parents couldn’t afford it, and Idesperately wanted Syrena to go.Unfortunately, it was not anaffordable option for me.

Once again, our caring andcompassionate YMCA Directorworked with the Director at CampClassen to make this dreampossible through a partial scholarship. Although I was excited that Syrena would be able toattend, I was nervous since she had never been away from home. But, when we visited thecamp, the staff helped ease my fears. Syrena and I fell in love with the camp grounds, andneedless to say, she had a wonderful time!

A few weeks later, we heard about a volunteer weekend event at Camp Classen. Weimmediately wanted to help make "My Camp" even better! We were welcomed with open arms,given a cabin and meals for the weekend, and enjoyed a camp fire in the evenings. Everyonethere made us feel like family.

We have now attended the volunteer weekend twice, removing bushes, hauling gravel, cuttingdown trees and more. It was exhausting, challenging, and FUN! We worked side by side withstaff members and felt like we had made a difference at “our camp”. More importantly, we werefinally able to give back to the Y for making my daughter’s life so fulfilling.

Over the years, I have watched my daughter grow and blossom into a beautiful, caring,considerate, responsible, respectful, and honest young lady. I have often thought about howdifferent Syrena might be today without the loving support of the Y. The wonderful people atthe Y have impacted my child's life in ways that i could never have imagined. For this, I

will forever be grateful.” - Deborah Wallenberg

Through her MoTher’s eYes“Syrena was five years old when she started going to the YMCA in our hometown of

Chickasha, Oklahoma and it has been a huge blessing in our lives.

As a single mom, I was looking forafter school care in a safeenvironment with guided activities,but I didn't feel the Y would fit intomy budget. A mentor of mine told meabout scholarship possibilities, so Icontacted the Executive Director atour Y, and he worked with me tomake it possible.

The Y became Syrena's second homefor eight years, as she spent morethan three hours there everyweekday. With the Y’s generousassistance, I was also able to enrollher in the Summer Day Camp for theentire summer. Syrena started outbeing a very shy little girl, but Iwatched her become outgoing andconfident. She was taught the Y’sCore Values of Honesty, Caring,Responsibility, and Respect, and forthat, I am grateful.

YouTh DeVeloPMenT

“syrena started out being a very shy little girl, but i watched herbecome outgoing and confident. she was taught the Y’s CoreValues of honesty, Caring, responsibility, and respect, and forthat, i am grateful.”

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heAlThY liVingHealth and well-being are all about balance. People of all ages, from all walks of life

come to the Y to not only exercise, but to be among friends who care about them.

That is what makes our Y so much more than a gym. By helping kids, adults, families,

and seniors reach their highest God-given talents, we build a stronger community.

When life gives you something as devastating as the death of a spouse, it may

seem easier to give up than to get out and continue to fight. And when life has

given you more obstacles than one should bear, moving forward and facing your

fears can feel like an impossible feat. Terry made the decision to live his life to the

fullest, working on a healthy spirit, mind, and body. This is his story of

determination and resolve.

After a consultation with his doctor in2011, Terry Phillips realized that heneeded to get healthy and lose weight.At the age of 58, legally blind andweighing 288 pounds, Terry chose tobecome a member at the YMCA inGuthrie, and committed to living ahealthier lifestyle.

With a custom workout regimine andguidance from the Y staff, Terry lostmore than 25 pounds in just a fewmonths.

Because Terry’s wife was also blind,their transportation was limited, soTerry would walk or take the trolley tothe Y. In a short period of time, heformed strong relationships with the Ystaff and began improving his socialhealth. Terry didn’t let his obstaclesbecome road blocks, and his outlookwas positive.

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heAlThY liVin g Terry

In November of 2012, Terry lost his wife unexpectedly, which was devastating and resulted in atotal life change. In addition to losing the love of his life, his household income drasticallydeclined, his daily responsibilities grew, and he was left to plan a funeral by himself.

The Y staff learned that Terry could no longer afford to keep his membership, but his emotionaland physical health were more important. With financial assistance, Terry was able to maintainhis membership and remain active. Terry’s dog, Odie, became a certified service dog and theycome to the Y together every day to work out and socialize.

Terry’s strength of mind and willpower, has helped him lose more than 90 pounds. We knowthat Terry has faced trials of many kinds, but we continue to help him on his journey to health,happiness and contentment. Adversity can bring a life to a standstill, but at the Y we seeit as an opportunity to triumph over defeat. Terry is living proof.

heAlThY liVing

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soCiAl resPonsibiliTY Zach

soCiAlresPonsibiliTYWith our doors open to all, we work every day to connect people from all

backgrounds across the Greater Oklahoma City area and support to those who

need us most. We take on the most urgent needs in our community and inspire a

spirit of service in return. Our members, volunteers, supporters and staff

demonstrate the power of what we can achieve by giving back together.

As Oklahomans, we are not immune to tragedy. We have experienced some of the

worst natural disasters in the world, most recently with the tornadoes that hit our

state in May 2013. As the community came together to rebuild Moore, Oklahoma,

something as small as a scholarship for one little boy grew into something much

bigger.

Meet Zach Lewis, a 9-year old who wasat Plaza Towers Elementary School onMay 20, 2013, the day that a deadlytornado destroyed his school. That day,Zach lost seven classmates, one ofwhom was his best friend. Thankfully,Zach and his father made it to theirhome cellar before the storm tookeverything they had, including theirhome and their truck.

“It was almost impossible to let Zachout of my sight, even for a minute” saidZach’s mother, Julie. Yet, she and herhusband knew they needed to get Zachback to some type of normalcy andsummer camp at the Earlywine ParkYMCA was set to begin the followingweek. “The Y helped enormously bypaying for six weeks of camp for Zach.We were very grateful. Everything Zachhad ever known was gone, and the Ywas a huge blessing.”

Not only was Zach’s family helped by the YMCA financial assistance program, but over 50additional children were able to attend summer day camp completely free of charge. With thehelp of the Shartel Church of God and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Y was able tohost an emergency camp site for children and families affected by the May 2013 storms.

Zach, like so many other children in the path of the tornado that day, was weathering his owninternal storm. “The first day of camp was hard for Zach, but all of the counselors were veryhelpful,” said Julie, “Zach would be frightened on cloudy days and he had a lot of questionsabout why his friends died, but the counselors helped take his mind off of what we weredealing with as a family. While we were trying to get our lives back together, we knew Zach wasin a safe environment.”

Zach told us he wants to be a policeman or weatherman when he grows up. We hope heachieves his dream!

soCiAl resPonsibiliTY

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“everything Zach had ever known was gone andthe Y was a huge blessing.”


brAnCh $ rAiseDin 2013

DireCTFinAnCiAl

AssisTAnCeAWArDeD 2013

ProgrAMsubsiDies

AWArDeD 2013

beThAnY $62,203 $207,408 $67,249

CAMP ClAssen $85,067 $94,578 $23,061

ChiCkAshA AreA $79,179 $91,237 $27,278

eArlYWine PArk $111,108 $436,248 $222,603

eDMonD $133,793 $317,421 $56,349

eDWArD l. gAYlorDDoWnToWn $86,835 $284,234 $143,971

guThrie $43,613 $45,769 $24,336

MiDWesT CiTY $97,253 $350,906 $66,269

norTh siDe $129,676 $259,981 $60,654

roCkWell PlAZA $32,740 $102,079 $23,062

ToTAls $861,467 $2,189,861 $ 714,832

Your gift is important. Each year the Y awards far more dollars in

financial assistance and program subsidies than we raise.

helP us Close The gAP

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In addition to branch fundraising, the Association Board raised $321,581 to actively support communityneeds within each branch. The YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City awarded over $2.9 million in programsupport and individual financial assistance.

Your gift to the Y is used to fund a variety of programs

and initiatives; here is how your donation is divided.

Your DonATionMAkes A DiFFerenCe

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TogeTher We CAnDo so MuCh

More …giVe noW

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YMC A

Four siMPle leTTers...For soMe These Are JusT

YMCA OF GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY

loCATionsYMCA AssoCiATion oFFiCes500 North Broadway, Suite 500 Oklahoma City, OK 73102405 297 7777

beThAnY YMCA3400 North Mueller AvenueBethany, OK 73008405 789 0231

ChiCkAshA AreA YMCA725 West Chickasha AvenueChickasha, OK 73018405 224 2281

eArlYWine PArk YMCA11801 South May Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73170405 378 0420

eDWArD l. gAYlorD DoWnToWn YMCA1 Northwest 4th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405 297 7700

guThrie YMCA114 East Oklahoma AvenueGuthrie, OK 73044405 282 8206

MiDToWn YMCA1110 North Classen Drive, Suite 200Oklahoma City, OK 73103405 232 9622

MiDWesT CiTY YMCA2817 North Woodcrest DriveMidwest City, OK 73110405 733 9622

MiTCh PArk YMCA1501 W Covell RoadEdmond, OK 73003 Opening 2/3/14

norTh siDe YMCA10000 North Pennsylvania AvenueOklahoma City, OK 73120405 751 6363

rAnkin YMCA1220 South Rankin StreetEdmond, OK 73034405 348 9622

roCkWell Crossing YMCA12100 North RockwellOklahoma City, OK 73162405 728 9622

roCkWell PlAZA YMCA8300 Glade AvenueOklahoma City, OK 73132405 621 5858

YMCA CAMP ClAssen10840 Main Camp RoadDavis, OK 73030580 369 2272

YMCA greenbriAr ProgrAM CenTer1500 Kingsridge DriveOklahoma City, OK 73170405 691 8101

YMCA linColn PArk senior CenTer4712 North Martin Luther King BoulevardOklahoma City, OK 73111405 427 0862

YMCA MiliTArY WelCoMeCenTerWill Rogers World Airport7100 Terminal Drive, Unit 927 Oklahoma City, OK 73159405 680 9781

VisiT us AT WWW.YMCAokC.org


For You, For us & For AllTheY’re so MuCh More.2014 Annual CampaignYMCA OF GREATER OKLAHOMA CITY

We have an extraordinary opportunity to ensure a brighter future for the greater OklahomaCity area, but we must take action today, and only your support will make it possible.

Your gift will help the young achieve their potential, empower people of all ages to leadhealthier lives, and strengthen the bonds of community.

Together, we'll take on many of the greatest challenges facing our young people, our health andcommunity.

Your giFTs AnD ConTribuTions helP our CoMMuniTY in The FolloWing WAYs:

$105 teaches three children life saving swimming and water safety skills.

$175 provides life enhancing group exercise for a senior citizen, like Terry, for five months.

$330 provides three weeks of Day Camp experience for a student like Zach.

$595 provides a weeklong experience at CAMP ClAssen in Davis fora youth like syrena.

$750 allows three children the opportunity to participate in an entire year of youth sports.

$1,000 allows four cancer survivors to enroll in a 12-week session ofliVesTrong at the YMCA to regain strength, stamina and spirt.

Now, when you think of your YMCA you’ll know it’s more than just a gym…it’s a cause. A cause,that, with your generous support, will continue to strengthen the community in which you live.

giVe. AnD Do so MuCh More.

The Y. so Much More™YMCA oF greATer oklAhoMA CiTYymcaokc.org


Documents

The )MCA sTrengThens CoMMuniTies...help of the Shartel Church of God and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Y was able to host an emergency camp site for children and families