Left to right (Top row): All of us!; Mary Moomaw, Julie Kauffman, Faith Settles and Sue Smith at Packo's; Mike and Marla Lieber at the tugboat. (Bottom row): Klinger and Hawkeye join Mike Lieber, Keith Lands, John Mack and Connie Clark at Packo's; Joy and Dale Packer, Dan Sager, John Mack, Marilyn Sager and Kathy Mack at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.

Our Fall 2023 Reunion was filled with memories and fellowship and Maumee Bay was a beautiful location. Even the weather cooperated. With 33 people in attendance, the Museum of the Great Lakes with its tour of an actual Lake Freighter was the highlight. We enjoyed some great meals at Tony Packo’s and the Real Seafood Company, along with a late evening run to the ice cream shop. Brad Toft, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toledo (photo right), told us about the great work the Y is doing in Northwest Ohio. We hope to see you at the next reunion.

John 17:21 “That they may all be one.”

Why do we, in retirement, pay for the privilege to eat and work in high temperatures and wind and cold snaps? We inch forward to complete a dream for people we have never met on the grounds of the YMCA of the Seven Council Fires in Dupree, S.D. for our YMCA Alumni National Service Project.

Wayne Uhrig excitedly tells us we have YMCA Alumni members going to Albania, Latin America, Europe, and the Bahamas for ISC - our International Service Corps. Their skills, honed during Y careers, will help developing or struggling YMCAs abroad.

Keith Lands, our new representative for the YMCA Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF), talks of cash grants to active and retired YMCA professionals facing dire challenges. And, YMCA Alumni chapters across the U.S. are doing service projects and supporting the projects I mentioned, plus their own local needs during their retirement years.

Why? Because - IT’S ALL ABOUT KINDNESS.

Connie Clark

Chambers YMCA Alumni Chapter President

John Mack received the Robert Knight Chapter 32 Alumni Director of the Year Award (photo left with President Mike Frith) at our Fall Reunion. During the Annual Meeting and Banquet, we honored Dave Saunders for his leadership and tireless service to the chapter. (Photo right: Mike, Dave and Bonnie Saunders).

John began his involvement with the YMCA when he was in grade school, took swim lessons at the Downtown Toledo YMCA and was also a member of the South Toledo YMCA.  John says his true calling in the YMCA was working with teens and, more specifically, working with Leaders Clubs at several YMCAs including Fort Wayne, Middletown, Lexington, Sandusky, Elyria, Angola and Bristol. 

Dave, for the past 30 years, served as the lead volunteer and chair of the selection committee for our Alumni Director of the Year. As a previous recipient of the award, Dave’s service goes way beyond this. He always has been a dedicated YMCA leader and also a leader within our chapter. A sincere thank you to both John and Dave from all of us in the Chambers Chapter.

Dick Jones was officially inducted into the National YMCA Hall of Fame July 28, 2023 during the Y-USA General Assembly in Atlanta. He was accompanied by two of his sons, Peter and Michael; his other son Steve lives overseas and unable to attend. Several other YMCA alumni also attended. These were just a few of the thousands of people that Dick had a huge impact on during his career. He always has been our mentor, leader, colleague and friend. (Top photo L-R): Back row L to R: Mike Jones, Dick Bennett, Sue Smith, Faith Patton, Mary Moomaw, Pete Jones. Front: Dick with Michelle Tilton)

Please WELCOME our most recent members to join the Chambers Chapter of YMCA Alumni: Donald and Holly Ferr, Erie, PA; Dawn and Richard Stearns, Springboro, PA.

Happy Birthday to these members that will have a “Summer Birthday Party” before our next newsletter.

September

Jean Allen ~ 3 * Steve Clever ~ 3 * Glenn Kuhn ~ 4 * Dave Saunders ~ 4

Harold Hewitt ~ 6 * John Kinsinger ~ 7 * Jean Hedges ~ 9 * Jill Jolliff ~ 9

Tony Delisio ~ 12 * Paul Atkinson ~ 13 * Dorothea Lazar ~ 13

Dick Jones ~ 19 * Robert Orr ~ 21 * Jenn Patterson ~ 23 * Laura Mann ~ 25

Cindy Koenig-Daggs ~ 26 * Randy Clark ~ 28 * Jerry Seiter ~ 30

Kevin Settles ~ 30

October

Tammy Crawford ~ 1 * Gary Broderick ~ 2 * Tom Blomquist ~ 5

Barbara Gilchrist ~ 5 * Fred Staley ~ 6 * Cindy Blomquist ~ 10

Jason Boothe ~ 10 * Ruth France ~ 13 * Harry Bradbury ~ 14

John Pfiester ~ 16 * Todd Wynn ~ 20 * Carol Cooper ~ 24

Evelyn Rae Correll ~ 24 * Keith Lands ~ 28 * Tom Gacse ~ 29

Nancy Gregory ~ 29 * Holly Ferri ~ 31

November

Becky Clever ~ 1 * Julie Bennett ~ 5 * Cathy McAllister ~ 6 * Jeff Mann ~ 9

Dorothy Gomori ~ 10 * Jennifer Hammond ~ 10 * Charlotte Moore ~ 14

Janice Atkinson ~ 19 * Susan Wegelin ~ 19 * Shirley Culver ~ 21

Becky Uhrig ~ 21 * Brad Toft ~ 22 * Julie Kauffman ~ 23 * Doug McNeel ~ 23 Todd Semelsberger ~ 23 * Fred Cooper ~ 26 * Phyllis Glunt ~ 26

Bob D’Avria ~ 30

Look Out, Here Comes 2024…

Yes, it will soon be time to RENEW our commitment and support to YMCA Alumni and the Chambers Chapter. November 2 is the official start of the 2024 Renewal Campaign. A Renewal Packet will arrive in your home mailbox at that time with details on how to renew, either by first-class mail (with personal check) or at www.ymcaalumni.org (with credit card). Online renewal is available right now. Just click the button below. Please renew EARLY… but for sure before Dec. 31.

The International Service Corps (ISC), recently placed two YMCA Alumni volunteers with international YMCAs. One for the Grand Bahama YMCA (Teresa Hill, Grand Canyon Chapter), and one for the YMCA Centre in Albania (Jonathan Vance, Weatherford Chapter). ISC continues to attract interest from YMCAs in Latin America and in Europe.



We need volunteers in Nicaragua, Panama, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic to name a few. ISC will pay your airfare and some additional expenses, based on arrangements with the host YMCA. Click the button below for more information. (Photo: Wayne Uhrig)

The National Service Project fundraising campaign has recently received a gift of $25,000 from a YMCA Alumni member. She said she wanted to give where it would help the most. The total giving to date in gifts and pledges from more than 600 donors is over $811000. Thanks to our chapter for all the gifts and support for the volunteering no matter how great or small. 

The Fundraising Committee is actively writing grants to large businesses and corporations in the hope of reaching the $1 million mark. Chambers member Linda Day Macessey is assisting. 



Wave 5 volunteers will be in Dupree soon with the next waves coming soon after. The Boots on the Ground Committee, of which I am a member, will be finishing Tiny Home 1 and erecting Tiny Home 2 and 3 walls hopefully before Winter. 

We were honored to ask to serve as the EAF Chairmen for the Chambers Chapter. A very special thanks to Steve and Nancy Gunn for their leadership of our chapter’s EAF fund for the several past years. 

As of press time: $21,115.25 has been donated to the EAF nationally with 133 YMCA Alumni members donating. The Chambers Chapter has had 18 donors to the EAF with gifts totaling $3,035. Traditionally, our chapter has been one of the largest donors.  Last year we had 26 donors. 

If you have not yet made an EAF contribution for 2023 or would like to make an additional donation, please mail your check to: Emergency Assistance Fund - Y USA, 101 N. Upper Wacker Drive. 16th Fl., Chicago, IL. 60606. YMCA Alumni EAF co-chairs are Mikey and Jim Havlick.

To date, 15 Chambers Chapter members have contributed $2,975 towards our $6,000 goal. That’s an average gift of $198. In total, 438 YMCA Alumni have given $118,967 to World Service so far this year. Overall, the 2023 World Service Campaign has raised $1,849,218.

There is still time to give to World Service this year. Be on the lookout for a global update, along with a letter this month. Click the blue button below to contribute online. Thank you for Changing the World for Good.