Lake County YMCA Branches in Immediate Need

Lake County YMCAs are no longer able to operate long-term and are scheduled to close October 31, unless the appropriate funds can be raised.

Anne Veit, a Board member, says, “We now face a significant challenge. We need to raise $5 to $8 million by October 31 to stay open. The Board has pursued community and private partnerships to keep both facilities open. Unfortunately, our efforts have proved insufficient in light of the significant operating deficit. All monies received by the Y, including those you may choose to contribute now, go directly to paying the staff, maintaining facilities, funding our programs and paying our debt.”

The YMCA is a well-known, nonprofit organization that works to strengthen the community through programs that promote youth development and healthy living. The Lake County branches have about 2,300 members and offer critical before and after school care services. So when the YMCA board announced last week that the Lake County YMCAs will be closing, a capital campaign was launched to try to save this important community organization.

Since the announcement, several community partners have been interested in helping and there has been wide concern from the community about how to provide support and keep these Lake County YMCA branches open. “Many have offered to do whatever they can, both financially and otherwise, to help keep the Y branches open. These Ys provide valued services to the communities, and we would like nothing better than to stay open,” Veit explains.

If you would like to help save the Ys, please visit ymcalakecounty.org for more information and to stay updated on campaign progress. Financial donations to the capital campaign can be made in the form of checks made out to Lake County Family YMCA and can be mailed to or dropped off at the Central Lake (Vernon Hills) YMCA or the Northern Lake (Waukegan) YMCA. In the event that the campaign does not reach its goal and the YMCA is forced to close, all donations will be returned.

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