

The YMCA of Washington County’s Capital Campaign Team is honored to announce that it has received a grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation of $3,500,000! These funds will support Phase I of the new Washington Community Y Facility and bring the total funds raised to $7,936,932. The estimated cost of Phase I of the project is $9,184,226 and is scheduled to begin this summer. The new YMCA building will be the anchor of the City’s Wellness Park offering a wide varitey of recreational opportuities for the community. The WCRF grant along with private donations pledged towards the project and continued fundraising, will help in bringing the new facility to reality. On behalf of the Capital Campaign team thank you for your generosity, Phase I of the new YMCA would not be possible without friends like you!
The New Washington Community Y Facility will ensure the growth of valuable programming that the YMCA is dedicated to providing for you and the whole community. The new Y facility will bring to reality a stronger, healthier Washington. Together we are building for our future.
Consider how you can help. Please share your enthusiasm for the New Facility and help promote the Y’s positive culture to friends and family. Encourage others to invest in themselves and the community by giving. Every gift makes a difference. Everyone can play a role in making our community a better place for all. Gifts can be made as a one-time donation or pledges payable over five years will be gratefully accepted. Donations can be made in the follow ways:
Check or Credit Card
IRA/401K/403B Distributions
Publicly Traded Stocks
Livestock or Grain
Personal Property
Land
If you’d like to be involved, contact Amy Schulte, Interim CEO, at (319) 653-2141 or at aschulte@washingtony.org.
The fundraising efforts for the new YMCA in Washington received a huge boost when the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort pledged to donate $500,000 over 5 years to the Washington County YMCA. “As one of the oldest YMCA buildings in the nation, we are honored to give back to this community organization, especially to help a community that has been so supportive of us throughout the years,” said Dan Kehl, CEO of Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. This is the largest donation of its kind that has been given by the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort board to a local organization. “This pledge shows tremendous support for the YMCA building project from the Riverside Casino board of directors and we are honored to receive this generous gift,” said Amy Schulte, Interim CEO of the YMCA of Washington County.
“The vision and leadership of the board is strong and we are happy to be a part of it; not only for what the YMCA does for the families of Washington County but nationwide. All communities face challenges, and this is a great opportunity to offer our support. ” said Dan Kehl, CEO of Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. “We are very excited about the impact that this gift has on our fundraising and we hope that it will encourage others in the community to support this project as well. We need to complete this portion of the fundraising so we can begin focusing on Phase 2 – a 6 lane pool for the community” said Amy Schulte, Interim CEO of the YMCA
This pledge takes the total funds raised to just over $3.5 million of the $9 million that is needed for Phase 1. The goal for the project is to raise another $1.5 million this spring and to reapply to the Washington County Riverboat Foundation and Enhance Iowa.
This gift should not be confused with grant funds that are available through the Washington County Riverboat Foundation, which holds the gaming license for the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort. The YMCA was awarded a $3.5 million grant from the WCRF that expired this past December because the fundraising was not completed in the time. The committee that is in charge of raising funds for the new YMCA has continued its efforts and has been successful in raising just over $1 million dollars since October and is continuing to seek donations from the public and private foundations.
“The release of the interior animation of the new facility generated a lot of excitement surrounding the project and gave the community the chance to really see what they are supporting. This donation coming so closely after that release has been an amazing start to 2018, now our goal is to end the year by starting construction of Phase 1,” said Amy Schulte Interim CEO of the YMCA
Did you see us in the news? The Journal picked up our story about our continued fundraising efforts! Read the whole story on their website here:
https://washington-ia.villagesoup.com/p/ymca-continues-fundraising-drive/1698836
Originally Posted: October 25, 2017
Author: David Holte
Thank you to the board of directors of Farm & Home Mutual Insurance Association for their support of YMCA of Washington County’s new building project. Their generous pledge of $25,000 over five years will help reach our goal of building for the future of Washington County. Their commitment to our project will “insure” a “Y- For A Better Us”
Wow! Thanks to KCRG for the great article and video showcasing our new building project. We appreciate everyone’s support!
http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Washington-YMCA-expansion-plan-ready-to-try-again-423932074.html
Originally Posted: May 23, 2017
Author: Dave Franzman – KCRG News
Last week at the Washington City Council meeting it was discussed that the YMCA and the City of Washington could apply for an Enhance Iowa grant together. The City of Washington is interested in developing an adjacent piece of land for their Wellness Park, which is a great fit for our new building. Read the whole article here:
http://kciiradio.com/2017/05/ymca-and-city-look-to-approach-enhance-iowa-together/
Originally Posted: May 20, 2017
Author: Sally Hart – KCII News
The YMCA is all about collaborating and we are very excited for the opportunity to partner with the city in seeking grant funding for both of our projects. Read the Washington Journal’s article about the building project collaboration.
http://washington-ia.villagesoup.com/p/city-to-partner-with-ymca-on-project/1653362
Originally Posted: May 17, 2017
Author: David Hotle – Washington Evening Journal
Did you see KCII’s recent news article about our Capital Campaign? If not, read it here!
http://kciiradio.com/2017/05/new-building-design-for-washington-ymca-project/
Originally Posted: Wednesday, May 17th, 2017 at 6:29 am
Author: Sally Y. Hart – KCII News