June at the Wardle Family YMCA
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The Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry is pleased to announce that we were selected as the 2018 Outstanding Non-Profit at the annual Civitas Awards held on May 24, 2018!
The Civitas Awards are hosted by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce and recognize outstanding businesses, organizations, and individuals who are exemplary in our region. Our Togetherhood Committee was also nominated as Volunteer of the Year 2018. We congratulate all the nominees and winners! Well done!
(l to r): Cliff Mrkvicka, Beaufort Regional Chamber Chairman; Jennifer Tuckwiller, YMCA Chairman; Russell Baxley, Beaufort Memorial CEO
(Back l to r): Ralph Fuller, Mary Edwards, Kaylin Garst, Larry Schaefer, Jenny Kopke, Marian Schaefer, Leigh Aiken, Mike Bostwick (Front l to r): Jennifer Tuckwiller, Denice Fanning, Dolores Fuller, Karoline Schiller, Angie Williams, Amy Roberts, Bennett Schiller.
Gabrielle Auerbach, 16 wins the 2018 Beaufort River Swim.
On Saturday, May 19, Gabrielle Auerbach finished the 12th Annual Beaufort River Swim (BRS) with a time of 51:00:05 to become the first female to win the event in its history. Auerback hails from Kennesaw, GA and is sixteen years old. Top male finisher was Charles Michael, age 19, of Bluffton with a time of 51:23:65. All results for the 3.3-Mile race can be found at runsignup.com.
The 3.2-mile Beaufort River Swim is the only competitive open water swim held in Beaufort County. This year’s competitors ranged in age from 13 to73 and traveled from as far away as Rhode Island.
The BRS is a fundraiser for the Wardle Family YMCA Learn to Swim program, which provides swim lessons to local children and adults who would not otherwise have the means or opportunity to learn to swim. In 2017 alone, the Y taught over 1,500 swim lessons with more than half of these being a direct result of scholarship assistance provided by the Learn to Swim Program and the BRS.
Programs offer a mix of fun, physical activity and safety to create a lifelong love of swimming.
[PORT ROYAL, SC] – As the season turns from winter to spring, the Wardle Family YMCA encourages children and parents in the Lowcountry to explore the many benefits of swimming, while also keeping safety top of mind. In Y swim programs, participants can enjoy water sports, enhance or learn new techniques, meet new friends and develop confidence, while also learning safety skills that can save lives.
“Swimming is not only a fun, healthy activity, but an important life skill for all children,” said Lou Bergen, Aquatics Director, Wardle Family YMCA. “Learning basic water safety skills is a great introduction to the world of swimming that often continues with swim lessons and competitive swim programs, and can even lead to a career.”
As part of National Water Safety Month in May, the Wardle Family Y encourages parents to take an active role in fostering a relationship between their children and swimming—beginning with water safety. Following are safety tips to practice when in and around the water:
In addition to learning lifesaving water safety skills, children can increase their physical activity by swimming. Swimming also motivates children to strive for self-improvement, teaches goal orientation and cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem. It also teaches life lessons of sport and sportsmanship, so that children can learn how to work well with teammates and coaches and how to deal with winning and losing. Learn more here.
As a leading nonprofit committed to youth development, the Y has been a leader in providing swim lessons and water safety locally for more than 22 years. The Wardle Family Y continues to help youth and adults experience the joy and benefits of swimming, so they can be healthy, confident and secure in the water. There are a variety of programs to choose, including group swim lessons (by age), private swim lessons, BYAC Tiger Sharks swim team, water aerobics and even SCUBA lessons.
To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate, financial assistance is available to those in need. In 2017, The Y taught over 1500 swim lessons with well over half at no cost. The Wardle Family YMCA raises funds for swim lesson scholarship assistance through its Learn To Swim Program which is funded by donations and the annual Beaufort River Swim. The 12th Annual Beaufort River Swim is Saturday, May 19, 2018. beaufortriverswim.com
To learn more about the Wardle Family YMCA’s swim programs, Beaufort River Swim or to make a donation, please contact Lou Bergen at 843.522.9622 or l.bergen@wardlefamilyymca.org.
April at the Wardle Family YMCA
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March 2018 at the Wardle Family YMCA
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February 2018 at the Wardle Family YMCA
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On Thursday, February 15, 2018 the Wardle Family YMCA welcomed members and guests to their Annual Meeting, which recognized volunteers, donors and staff who helped advance the Y’s cause to strengthen the foundation of our community.
The Y celebrated the positive impact made through Y programs and services as $350,000 in scholarship funds were raised and distributed in 2017. This assistance helped thousands of youth and families through YMCA membership, sports, summer camps, childcare, preschool, youth boating and swimming lessons. The annual Boots & Bling Fundraiser and Silent Auction raised over $48,000 for the annual Y capital campaign.
The meeting was presided over by incoming YMCA Board Chair, Jennifer Tuckwiller, and Y CEO, Michael Bostwick. The Y celebrated the many programs, services and opportunities they provide and, most importantly, gave thanks to the volunteers that truly bring magic to the non-profit.
The Y welcomed four new board members: Dr. N’kia Campbell, Director of Academic Initiatives for Beaufort County School District; retired educator Andy Thacker, State Farm insurance agent Taylor Malphrus; Chris Bowman, branch manager at South State Bank. Outgoing board members, Dr. Gregory McCord and Cheryl Comes were thanked for their many years of service to the Y. Also, Bostwick recognized past board member Peter Post, who was inducted into the National YMCA Hall of Fame.
Kaylin Garst, Y Branch Executive Director of the Wardle Family YMCA reported on the improvements and changes made at the Wardle Family YMCA during 2017. These included refinishing the basketball gym floor, new pool heater and filter, new membership software, a new bus for childcare and implementation of a stoplight report for Y staff and members. YMCA senior-specific programming was highlighted by Wellness Director Denice Fanning, and Y member and volunteer Larry Schaefer reported via video on Togetherhood, the Y member-driven service committee.
During the Annual Meeting, two volunteers received special recognition for their service to the Y. Larry Schaefer received the 2017 Robert V. Wardle Service to Youth Award. This award is given in honor of Robert V. Wardle, whose donations were significant in the founding and continued operation of the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry. Larry Schaefer has been the Togetherhood committee chair for the past 2 years and has been instrumental in leading this volunteer group in projects ranging from the Postal Carriers Food Drive benefiting HELP of Beaufort to building custom flower boxes for the Senior Center on St. Helena Island to building and installing a little lending library for the Y. In 2017 their volunteer hours exceeded 500 hours and included a fundraiser for the Y, raising $500 for our Learn to Swim Program.
Bethany Byrne was named the annual Youth Sports Volunteer Coach for 2017. Ms. Byrne has been a volunteer aquatics coach over the past several years volunteering her time to assist with the BYAC Tiger Sharks Swim Team and aquatics department.
Tuckwiller also reviewed the YMCA association name change to Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry, which better communicates the Y’s original charter to serve both Beaufort and Jasper counties. She also announced that the YMCA now offers nationwide membership, which allows any active Y member to visit any participating Y in the USA, free of charge. beaufort-jasperymca.org
(Port Royal, January 8, 2018): The YMCA of Beaufort County announces that it is changing its association name to the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry to reflect the organizations’ programs that operate and serve residents of Jasper and Beaufort counties. The Y facility located in Port Royal will continue to be recognized as the Wardle Family YMCA.
“Over the past several years we have provided on-site and off-site programs including summer camp, afterschool programming and swim lessons to hundreds of residents of Jasper County, said Michael Bostwick, YMCA CEO. “In the spirit in inclusivity, of which the Y is well-known, and to better describe our impact geographically we are excited to now be known as the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry.”
The Wardle Family YMCA was charted in 1990 and opened its doors in June 1996. The YMCA is a locally autonomous non-profit organization made up of voluntary membership that is open to individuals of all ages, race, religion, incomes and abilities. The mission of the Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. The Y believes in helping all people lead healthier, happier lives and at the Y, no one is turned away due to their inability to pay. In 2017 the Y awarded approximately $350,000 in financial assistance.
Programs and services incorporate the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility and the YMCA encourages and challenges its staff, members, volunteers and program participants to accept and demonstrate these values. The Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry currently serves approximately 10,000 individuals annually through the programs and services provided in Beaufort and Jasper counties. beaufort-jasperymca.org
December at the YMCA of Beaufort County
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