This past Friday we celebrated the opening of the new Sherman Early Childhood Center at the Weinberg Y in Waverly. It was a wonderful morning, with fall clearly in the air and some of the most committed supporters of the city, our children and the Y in attendance. This beautiful center, which blends Head Start and traditional Preschool programming for over 100 young children ages six weeks to five years old, replaces the Y preschool attached to the Weinberg Y family center at the same site.
I have been fortunate to call Betsy Sherman and her late husband George, who passed away a year ago, friends for over 25 years. They are two of the best and most authentically decent people I’ve ever known, and I, unfortunately, don’t have enough space here to describe all of the reasons why. George, a driven and wildly successful business executive across multiple industries, and Betsy, an early childhood educator, mother, and civic powerhouse, moved to Baltimore in 1986 with their four sons, embraced it as if they were both born here, and went on to make an indelible mark on so many organizations, families, youth and children since then. When we decided to build a large early childhood center to replace the Weinberg Y’s existing preschool as part of the larger capital improvement project, I turned to Betsy and George, knowing they’d want to be involved. With little convincing needed, they quickly agreed to make the lead gift to make it happen. For anyone who knows the Shermans or had the opportunity to join us on Friday and hear Betsy speak so passionately about the massive potential that every child possesses and the imperative for the community as a whole to rise up to support the youngest amongst us, you’ll know why having the Sherman name on this state of the art early childhood center in the heart of Baltimore City is absolutely perfect.
The completion of the Sherman Early Childhood Center is part of a phased, multi-year $8 million capital improvement plan which significantly enhances the Y assets housed on the Stadium Place campus that used to serve as the home to Memorial Stadium. In addition to the Sherman Early Childhood Center, the renovation to date includes the complete expansion and renovation of the entry-level of the Weinberg Y in Waverly (inclusive of a new Stay & Play, Family Room, multiple multi-purpose spaces, and a stone fireplace). Additionally, an outdoor pavilion with restrooms has been built, the Y’s fitness floor is being substantially enlarged and improved (this will be completed by year-end), and the locker rooms will be improved next year. With the Cal Ripken Sr. artificial turf field, a large grass field and an expansive community playground managed by the Y, it’s hard to imagine a Y anywhere in the country that has as much as what is found right there!
All this work reflects the Y’s commitment to reinvest in Baltimore city, in its communities and in those who live and work there. At the Y, we believe deeply in the vibrancy of Baltimore and in ensuring that everyone in the community, regardless of income, has access to the kind of important and life-changing experiences that happen as a result of all of these assets and the programs they enable.
Along with the Shermans, we are so thankful to all the donors who are making all of this possible, including the State of Maryland. A particular debt of gratitude is owed to the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation and the France-Merrick Foundation for supporting both the original Weinberg Y project almost twenty years ago and this one as well. We also appreciate all of the elected officials who have supported this project and the work of the Y and have helped us both in terms of funding and communicating with the community. They include City Councilwoman Odette Ramos, State Senators Mary Washington and Cory McCray, Delegates Regina Boyce and Maggie MacIntosh, and Governor Hogan, who visited the site on a rainy day last November and has been an unflagging supporter. Thanks are also owed to many Y leaders who worked tirelessly to make this project come to life, including Sherrie Rovnan, David Schuetz, Matt Freedman, Jeff Sprinkle, Ashley Funk, Amy Taylor, Dana Ashley, Ameka Smith, Tijuanna Huggins and Natasha Morton, along with all the wonderful teachers who are the heart and soul of the new Sherman Early Childhood Center at the Weinberg Y in Waverly.
Thank you all.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland