Paul Szmal: Good morning, it's 816 FLX Morning. It's time for our monthly visit with the Auburn YMCA. The website is auburnymca.org and we're going right to the top for Executive Director Amy Walner. Good morning.
Amy Wallner: Good morning. How are you?
Paul Szmal: I'm doing well. It's great to have you here. Before we talk about the annual giving, give us kind of a state-of-the-why address. How has things been in 2024 and what are you looking to do in 2025?
Amy Wallner: Yes, 2024 has been a good year for the Auburn Y. Every month we have seen membership growth, we have seen program growth, and it's an exciting time to be a member. So let's talk about end-of-year giving and all the different ways it helps you have programs, it helps you keep programs affordable, it helps with facilities. So talk about all the things that you do at the Y and how that end-of-year gift helps that mission continue.
Yes, so thanks for having me on and talk about this because many people think of the Auburn Y as more of a facility to go and maybe swim a lap, walk on the track or a treadmill, go downstairs and lift weights. But we are more than that. We are a mission-driven organization that helps our community as a whole and we do that through fundraising efforts. And so our goal this year is $100,000 and we do that through gifts, through fundraising events, and we are really doing a year-end push. Our goal is $10,000 and the dollars that we raise goes back to our scholarship program. For those individuals who can't afford the YMCA, we have a scholarship program. If you would like to attend our Camp Hiawasco, swim lessons, any of our program, we also have a scholarship program that will help cover the cost of that. We have a wonderful cancer survivor program called Live Strong. That's a 12-week program that is free that you have to go through your doctors to get a referral to our health and wellness director, Laura Clary, and you get a free family membership and you get instruction a few days a week. And all proceeds go to help fund that program as well. So we do a lot of great things inside our walls and outside our walls as well with the donations that we get. And if you want to read about many of these things, Amy did a special piece in the Auburn Citizen that was in the paper two days ago. Or go to auburnpub.com to find that.
Paul Szmal: And so let's talk about that Live Strong program because we've talked about it a couple of times in this program and all the great testimonials you got from people who've been through it.
Amy Wallner: Yeah, it's very impactful. And we have a graduation event right after it. And we also have a support group that has come about because after the 12 weeks is over, these individuals really gain confidence and make a connection. So we continued that through some of our volunteers that went through the program have decided to do support groups. They created a group called Thrive where anybody that has graduated through the program, they will meet at the Y and work out together. So it goes beyond that 12-step, 12-week program. And so we do have a breast cancer survivor support group as well the first Monday of every month. And so if you're interested in hearing more about this, I would reach out to our health and wellness director, Laura Clary.
Paul Szmal: There are different ways that you can give, one of which is the annual Giving Tuesday, which is on December 3rd this year. Explain how Giving Tuesday works.
Amy Wallner: Yes, Giving Tuesday is a national day of giving. And we just want people to remember the Y when they're ready to give. And so you can make a payment at the Y. You can give online. You can just go to our website, AuburnYMCA.org. And we do have a button that you push, and it's Give. And you can make a quick and easy donation there. You can stop in the front desk or mail in a payment to me, Amy Wallner. And we will put some things on our Facebook and social media pages too. And then we also do a lot of little special events. One is coming up. It's a Chipotle fundraiser next week, Wednesday, November 13th from 4 to 8. If you go in there, let them know you're from the Y. You do have to have a user code, which you can get off our website or on our Facebook page. But it's HMZ9VZD. And we will get dollars back for that. And that all goes to the annual support campaign.
Paul Szmal: Do you have a program for things like estate giving, giving stocks or real estate or something in a will?
Amy Wallner: We do have a program with that. And so I would, if anybody's interested in that, just reach out to me directly. And I can guide them through the processes for that. One of the things that People's Gifts does is keep these programs affordable. Because many people, if you were trying to access this many services in a private gym, they might not be able to do it. But with the support of the public, you're able to keep the costs very low for programs for members.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, no matter your inability to pay, we're able to help you out. Tell us about the aquatic program. We've talked about the Stingray Swim Team. People can learn life-saving skills. It's a pretty wide-ranging aquatic program.
Amy Wallner: Yeah, we have children in our swim lessons that can start at age 6 months on to seniors doing laps or aquatic classes in our pool that could be 90 years old. So we do have something for everyone. We have a master swim program that is for adults wanting to continue there after they grow from stingrays. And they want to have a little bit of competitive swim that meets at 5 a.m. And so that has gained popularity. Our aquatic, you can even come with your family when we have open swim to use the pool at any point.
Paul Szmal: Give us an update on your pool. Your pool's a little cool right now because the heater needs some repair. How is that coming?
Amy Wallner: Yeah, so we recently had a new HVAC system installed through some foundational support, the Emerson Foundation and Pratchett Metcalfe Foundation. And we just had a pool heater go on us, and we're just getting that fixed. And I think the temperatures are getting back to normal.
Paul Szmal: Now you mentioned older people taking a lot of these programs because I was talking to your counterparts from the Geneva YMCA recently, and they talk about how it's become a social gathering place for seniors. They're able to stay active, but it gives them all a great place to meet.
Amy Wallner: Yes, absolutely. There are little pockets of communities in every single department. We serve in every single age bracket we have. From preschool families making a connection, their children becomes friends in the classroom, and then they meet outside of the classroom. And we have that in our aquatic classes. They go out to lunch. If somebody is sick and not feeling well, they reach out to each other. We have land-based classes for older adults in our gymnasiums. We have pickleball. So belonging to the Y is more of a sense of a community and not just something where you just go in just for yourself, but you become a part of something that's greater than a membership.
Paul Szmal: We're talking with Amy Walner this morning, Executive Director of the Auburn YMCA. It's annual giving year-end time, and you mentioned it a little bit, but tell us about Camp Wyawosko. What a great opportunity this is, again, for an affordable price to have that classic summer camp experience.
Amy Wallner: Yes. Camp Wyawosko, it's a beautiful piece of property on Awosko Lake, over 50 acres, that we offer day and resident camp to children ages 5 to 18. And it's every single week during the summer. We have programs. We have swim lessons. We have sailing, kayaking, archery, nature, arts and crafts. You can spend the night during resident camp. And even our day camp, you're allowed to spend the night on Thursday nights and experience what that looks like. And so that is another way that children can connect away from their phone, TV, and just be a kid outdoors in nature.
Paul Szmal: To learn more about the impact of your year-end gift, pick up the Auburn Citizen from Tuesday. Amy's piece is there, or find it online at auburnpub.com. And to get started with the giving, real easy, AuburnYMCA.org, right at the top, there's a Give button. Click it and help keep these programs going and keep them affordable. Amy, thanks. Best of luck in the new year.
Amy Wallner: Thank you. And I hope you have a very good campaign this fall and into December. Thanks for being with us.
Paul Szmal: Yes, thank you. I appreciate it.
