First Community Children and Family Foundation Donates $500,000 to the YMCA Adaptive Sports Complex to Support Programs for Disabled Youth
The Gateway Region YMCA announced today a $500,000 donation from the First Community Children and Family Foundation in support of the YMCA Adaptive Sports Complex and adaptive programming. The gift includes naming rights for the Adaptive Sports Complex Pavilion.
Y athletes and their families were on-hand for a check presentation held prior to a baseball game in the spring season, with First Community throwing out the first pitch in celebration of the partnership with the Y.
“We are so thankful to the First Community Children and Family Foundation for this incredibly generous investment in support of youth and adults with disabilities,” stated Tim Helm, President and CEO of the Gateway Region YMCA. “First Community is a tremendous community leader, and this generous gift provides essential support to expand and enhance our services to allow athletes of all abilities the opportunity to participate and enjoy baseball and other sports at the facility.”
After relocating its South County location on Tesson Ferry Road adjacent to the Sports Complex, First Community Credit Union leadership approached the Y to discuss a potential partnership aimed at supporting athletes and programs for disabled youth.
"At First Community, we're all about families", said Glenn D. Barks, President & CEO. "The goal of our foundation is to help non-profits that support St Louis-area children and families. This is a unique opportunity to do that. I am proud we're part of it."
The YMCA Adaptive Sports Complex and Baseball field provide a variety of sports programming to children, and adults, with disabilities. The Sports Complex features the Paul Goldschmidt adaptive baseball field, barrier-free dugout, synthetic turf field, accessible field and walking track, and an accessible-sensory-rich playground, as well as an adjacent multi-purpose field. The Gateway Region YMCA currently serves more than 1,000 children and adults with disabilities through fitness, camps, child care, swimming, sports and other programs.
About First Community
First Community Credit Union has been operating for over 90 years and serves over 400,000 members. First Community is in the top 100 credit unions in the nation and is the largest credit union headquartered in Missouri. Its mission is to provide quality products and affordable financial services. It serves all persons living and working in the communities of St. Louis County, St. Louis City, Franklin County, Jefferson County, St. Charles County, Warren County, and the Illinois counties of Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair.
About the Gateway Region YMCA
The Gateway Region YMCA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
The association features 25 traditional branches in Missouri and Illinois, along with the Campus Y student leadership facility at Washington University and YMCA Camp Lakewood and Trout Lodge in Potosi, MO.
The Y also manages several specialized public-private partnerships: the Carondelet Park and O'Fallon Park Rec Complexes are owned by the City of St. Louis and operated by the Y; the RiverChase YMCA is owned by the city of Fenton and operated by the Y; and the Ste. Genevieve County YMCA is owned by the City of Ste. Genevieve and operated by the Y.
Committed to serving people of all abilities, the Y offers financial assistance to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate, regardless of their ability to pay. The Gateway Region YMCA is a proud member of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.
For more information, please visit gwrymca.org or call 314-436-1177.