We first arrived in Norwich in 1981. We had our 4 young sons in tow (ages 4 through 8). They discovered the “Y” before the U-Haul was unpacked! Here was a place where you could go for a swim with your buddies in February! We started our family membership. Bonnie took a fitness class and I coached kid’s floor hockey and indoor and outdoor soccer.
It was such a happy place.
In 1983 I remember having to tell our boys that we couldn’t afford to send them to “Y” camp that summer. They were disappointed, but understood. Then, out of the blue, the YMCA Director took me aside and said he had a limited number of camperships available. If we could afford to send 1 child, the “Y” would cover the other 3. The kids were ecstatic and still recall their experiences of almost 40 years ago.
In 1988 I was transferred out of the area. Like the song says “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”.
We missed our “Y”.
Fortunately, seven years later we were transferred back to Norwich. The first thing we did was to resume our Family Membership. We also took the opportunity to “pay forward” the kid’s camperships by donating to the annual Open Doors fund drive.
Bonnie and I are happy to serve as co-chairs of the 2021-2022 fund drive. It should be no secret that the havoc caused by the Covid Pandemic has not only affected our communities, but also the “Lighthouse” organizations that help make a community. As things begin to approach normality it is critically important that we support our community by pitching in to help the Y through the Open Doors annual campaign. We ask you to join us in helping to support one of Chenango County’s true light house organizations …The Norwich Family YMCA.
Sincerely,
Bonnie and Jim Currie