‘Tis spring here in Maryland and the Y, and as always that means lots of great activity, especially for youth and children, and highly variable weather! The Y has always been about supporting children and youth from infancy through high school and beyond. Just in the past ten days, two annual Y traditions offered up resounding proof of that.
Last week, almost 200 impressive high school students from across Maryland put an exclamation mark on this school year’s Y Youth and Government program when they gathered for a three-day mock legislative session in the halls of the Maryland legislature, with state officers being elected; thereafter, bills were debated, lobbied about, covered by the mock media, voted upon, and if passed, written into “law.”
Over the years, I have lost count of how many current federal, state and local officials and their staff members have told me that the Y’s Youth and Government program was what set them on their path to a career in public service. I imagine that there are some future elected officials in this year’s program, but whatever career these young people end up pursuing, I suspect that this experience will be one that they long remember.
Thank you to our good friends at Venable for their support and the many Y associates who facilitated this inspiring program: Abby Baldwin, Donald Eaddy, Derryck Fletcher, Mary Grace Gonzales, Zalanka Jones, Raymond Marshall, Heather Naviasky, Marc Perry, Pierre Sanders, Tom Sission, Demetriece Thomas, Charmayne Turner, and Molly Walker.
Turning our attention to the younger crowd and their families, this past Saturday we celebrated Healthy Kids Day, a national Y initiative that promotes the health and well-being of kids across our communities. Despite the less-than-outstanding weather, thousands of families and kids joined us at our Y centers to have their faces painted, get their hands dirty with some crafts, play sports and have some good old-fashioned family fun!
A big thank you goes out to everyone who was involved in supporting the event, particularly our Healthy Kids Day sponsors Eggland’s Best, Luminis Health, Medstar Health, University of Maryland St. Joseph’s Medical Center, United Healthcare, and Lifebridge Carroll Hospital.
I like to think of Y Youth and Government and Healthy Kids Day as springtime bookends representing the vast span of opportunities available to young people as they grow and develop as members of the Y community.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland