The Southeast Ventura County YMCA's 2nd Annual "Reach For The Stars" Gala raised $465,780 to support YMCA programs while honoring John and Karen Bradley as the 2018 Joel and Frances McCrea Award recipients. The event, held September 22 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, welcomed nearly 500 guests.
"John and Karen Bradley give so selflessly, volunteering their time and support to strengthening the community and our Y," says Ronnie Stone, Southeast Ventura County YMCA CEO. "Their humility in service is truly inspiring."
The YMCA also announced three Leadership Awards. The awards are presented to community members who make a positive impact through their leadership and service. Awards went to Caryn Archer, Youth Leadership Award, Kyle Rohrbach, Emerging Leadership Award and Jason Amoroso, Inspirational Leader Award.
“So many people in our community do wonderful work that inspires and helps others,” says Stone. “They are usually out of the spotlight, never asking for recognition but every so often, we want to show how much they're appreciated. This evening is meant for them.”
The event was an opportunity to highlight the YMCA's two signature programs: Find My Genius and Safety Around Water. Find My Genius, a five-week summer program, helped 60 young scholars in 2nd through 4th grades avoid the summer slide so they would be ready for the next school year. Safety Around Water, an eight-session program offered at no cost to the community, taught 400 children critical water safety skills over the spring and summer.
Founded in 1964, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s mission is to build relationships, impact lives and strengthen the community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The nonprofit charitable organization serves more than 25,000 residents annually of which over 6,000 are provided financial assistance.
The Southeast Ventura County YMCA consists of three branches: Yarrow Family YMCA (serving Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Oak Park), Conejo Valley YMCA (serving Thousand Oaks, Moorpark and the Santa Rosa Valley) and Simi Valley Family YMCA. For more information about the Southeast Ventura County YMCA and its programs, visit http://www.sevymca.org.
