YMCA

Our first trip to the YMCA in Canton was quite interesting to say the least. Although I have lived around the Canton area all of my life, I have never actually entered the building. I was completely surprised that it so modern and clean looking. When I first got there I was happily greeted and soon met in the Reinhardt sponsored room with the rest of my classmates.

In the classroom we sat and listened to the membership director there, N. Lawson. She was very informative to say the least. I learned that the YMCA corporate offices are located in Atlanta and that even though all the YMCA’s of America are separate they all have the same common goal. She also explained all the different types of organized sports they offer. Those include: Soccer, volleyball, baseball, basketball, and cheerleading. She also informed us when those sports were offered. Soccer, since it's so popular in the community, is offered twice a year. It is offered in both the spring and fall. Baseball is a summer sport, and basketball and cheerleading are both offered in the winter. The sports games are based on learning and enjoyment more so than competition.

Since the YMCA is a non-profit organization, they have to put on fundraisers to make money to allocate to through out the organization to stay up and running. Mrs. Lawson stated that last year alone the Canton YMCA raised around 140,000 dollars. I was almost in shock. The reason for the money raising is for students and families that might need financial help. Their big marketing push for scholarship fundraising is from January-March.

Currently, the YMCA in Canton has around 9,000 members. The nationwide population has to in the millions. The YMCA was started in the 1850's and has been serving people since. Although the YMCA was first created as a Bible study group for locals but has evolved into a family friendly atmosphere where the physical and social needs can be achieved. It is a great place to enjoy physical activity and I look forward to donating and possibly becoming a member at the "Y".