Reader Submitted
To the editor:
In April 2015, our community lost an amazing champion for youth sports and healthy living when Tom Jackson of Pennington passed away. Last week our YMCA, along with 136 golfers and nearly 200 total volunteers, donors, sponsors and other “champions” raised a glass to his memory at the 2nd Annual Hopewell Valley YMCA Tom Jackson Champions Golf Outing. I am so proud to be a part of honoring his legacy and simply blown away by the showing of support for our YMCA’s mission through the Tom Jackson Sports Fund.
Proceeds from the golf outing help our YMCA provide free and low-cost summer camp, sports and Special Olympics programming to area families in need, as well as a college scholarship to a graduating wrestling student at our high school.
Supporting our community is what this YMCA is all about. Whether it’s through our healthy living programs like safety town, our CPR, child safety and mental health first aid training or through the Pennington 5K, our athletic leagues, enrichment programs, Special Olympics teams, or our Hopewell Valley “YAC” Youth Activity Center for teens…we’re there when Hopewell Valley needs us. At our Y, every child has a chance to participate and develop the skills and desires to become a “Champion.”
I want to thank our volunteer committee, our Y’s staff and trustees, our many sponsors including our friends at the Pennington Market, Bank of Princeton, Volvo of Princeton, Archer Law and Glendale Mortgage – and of course the nearly 200 people who came out for the event, and the even more who sent their support in spirit and donated to our cause. The work this Y is doing in our community can’t happen without the support of our community – and boy did we ever see our community’s support last week. Thank you.
Ryan Kennedy
Hopewell Borough
President, Board of Directors of the Hopewell Valley YMCA
