Anonymous $2.5 Million Gift Boosts Centreville’s YMCA Momentum

Architect’s rendering of the proposed Queen’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center

The Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center project just got $2.5 Million closer to reality. The anonymous gift was announced at a meeting of the Queen Anne’ County Commissioners on September 24.

“I’m excited to share that the Y has received a $2.5 million dollar lead gift to build the Queen Anne’s County Family YMCA/Senior Center! This anonymous gift comes from outside the community and creates the momentum we need to tackle our goal and make this dream a reality,” Robbie Gill, CEO of YMCA of the Chesapeake, told the Commissioners.

The YMCA of the Chesapeake has announced a $12 Million campaign to build the new YMCA/Senior Center, according to Gill. “Based on our fundraising feasibility study, we believe we can raise $5 Million within the community for this project,” stated. “Knowing we needed several transformational lead gifts, the Y has worked tirelessly, sharing the story and working to connect potential donors to this effort.”

In 2015, Queen Anne’s County donated the land for the facility at the county complex on Vincit Street on the Southside of Centreville.  The new facility will create new fitness opportunities not available in Queen Anne’s County, including a swimming pool. The facility will replace the YMCA facility in leased space on Coursevall Drive. The facility has been popular growing from 300 members to 2,800 members since it opened three years ago. A market study showed that a future YMCA would serve 12,000 members and would make a Queen Anne’s facility one of the largest on the Eastern Shore.

One of the major amenities will be a pool, responding to a finding in the study that there is public demand for an aquatics program.

“The Queen Anne’s YMCA currently serves over 800 children in summer camp programs all run at off-site locations,” Gill stated, describing the current operations challenges. “Without adequate space at our current facility, offsite locations provide transportation challenges for some families and limit the number children we are able to serve. The new YMCA will provide an easy and accessible site for families and will double the number of campers we serve each summer.”