Bill and Jo Haney are this year’s chairs for the Boothbay Region YMCA’s annual fund drive. The Haneys moved to the peninsula nearly 35 years ago and became involved with the Y almost immediately.

“Physical activity has always been a high priority for us and the Y has allowed us to maintain our lifelong commitment to staying healthy,” the Haneys write in the annual letter to community members. “… When our daughters were younger, they were able to get involved through Y programs and camps, and it is a joy to see our grandchildren now doing the same.”

Growing up with the Y, raising their children with the Y and now seeing their grandchildren enjoy the Y in its abundance of activities and programs, the Haneys have become, both integrally and peripherally, a prime example of contribution.

“When I think of Bill and Jo, I think of family,” said Executive Director Andy Hamblett. “They show both the family within themselves and in the Y. They’re here as parents, grandparents, and as members themselves. They’re big supporters of the Y. Bill has helped us build things at the Y, as an engineer, and has helped us fix things as an active member of our public grounds. Jo, with her connections and work at the school, is a big advocate there. They’re always here.”

“While we initially joined to stay active, we quickly learned that this YMCA is the centerpiece of the community,” the Haneys’ letter continues. “The Y provides opportunities for fitness, but also for companionship. The staff and other members feel like family, and we are thankful for the friendships that we have formed at the Y.”

The Annual Fund is vital to both the Y’s day to day operations and its extended programs. The Haneys are trying to send the message, it is important to give back.

“We raise about a third of our operating budget which comes from contributions and grants,” said Lisa Van Dyk, director of development. “It’s very significant for our ability to serve this community.”

The Y gets a third of its operations budget from the Annual Fund. The rest depends on memberships and programs. “If any of those gets moved around or out of whack, it can really impact our ability to be here and serve people in the community,” Van Dyk said. “But, in addition, the contributions from the annual fund allow us to give financial assistance, scholarships, and run programs like LiveStrong and Second Grade Swim, the free programs we don’t charge for.”

One in three members gets some kind of financial support. “We’re really committed to making sure that if someone really wants to be here, we’ll make sure they’re here regardless of what they can afford,” Van Dyk said.

The Haneys consider it an honor to help the Y find success. “A lot of people don’t realize that the Y is a non-profit organization,” said Bill Haney. “The Y wouldn’t be able to have its functions without that generosity and people need to know that’s why the Y depends on that.”

Van Dyk said every gift counts.“So we’re just asking people to think about what the Y means to them and this community and consider giving back. Last year we had about 600 individual donors to the annual fund. We would love to increase that. So even if people are giving five dollars, it makes a big difference. The broad community support is why this Y is even here. If you think about it, this Y wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have people that had a vision and people who gave generously to build it and keep it going.”

Said Bill Haney, “For a community of three to five thousand people there’s nothing like this anywhere in Maine or— anywhere, period. This one is a special Y in a special town.”