(IRON MOUNTAIN, MI.)– Nearly 100 new memberships and more than 8,000 visits were recorded at the Northern Lights YMCA Dickinson Center during the month on January, both among the best monthly totals ever for the facility.“It’s just remarkable when you think about,” Center Director Jonathan Ringel said. “From where we started, to where were are today, our community is speaking loud and clear. They value what we are providing in terms of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.”Since its inception in 2010, the Northern Light YMCA Dickinson Center has proven a remarkable success in the Iron Mountain/Kingsford Community. Membership is at an all-time high with almost 2,700 active members.Planning for the future of the facility is underway, with an official Capital Campaign announcement expected in the fall.“Our YMCA is truly a reflection of our members,” Ringel said. “This Y is and can be whatever this community wants it to be. The numbers we are posting tell me that we are succeeding in our mission and that our plans for the future, while ambitious, are far from overreaching and entirely attainable.”Center to the YMCA’s mission is to break down economic barriers for families to meet the health and social service challenges present in the community. In 2016, the Dickinson Center provided nearly $50,000 in scholarship assistance directly to local families for membership and programming at the Y.All the funding for those scholarship opportunities comes 100 percent through Annual Campaign fundraising efforts. This year’s Annual Campaign will kick off in March with a goal of $80,000.“The need is greater each and every year,” Ringel said. “And it is important to point out that the YMCA receives no public funding. But I’m fully confident we, as a community, can meet and exceed that goal.”If you would like more information on the YMCA Annual Campaign, or the forthcoming Capital Fundraising Campaign, please contact Jonathan Ringel at 774-4076 or email jringel@nlymca.com.
(Aaron Harper,WJNR,WOBE,WHTO)
aaronharper22@gmail.com