At the Suffolk Family YMCA we are truly blessed with wonderful, dedicated volunteers who assist us with meeting our mission of building a strong community. At our December Board of Managers meeting, we were privileged to honor two volunteers for their contributions to the Suffolk Family YMCA.

Kent Spain retired from our Board of Managers after 20 years of service, and K.E. Morgan was presented with the Suffolk Family YMCA Service to Youth Award.

Kent Spain was a founding member of the Suffolk Family YMCA. For 20 years, he provided leadership and guidance to our Family Center as an active member of our Board of Managers. When Kent began volunteering for the YMCA, we were a small facility.

Long-time members may remember what the YMCA looked like at that time. The current free weight room served as the front entrance to the facility, and the basketball court was the indoor pool. Over the years, Kent helped the Suffolk Family YMCA build a new outdoor pool, new indoor pool and several other expansions to the original facility. The Suffolk Family YMCA grew from just a few hundred members to more than 12,000 members during Kent’s tenure on our Board.

On behalf of Rick Matthews, district vice president and executive director of the Suffolk Family YMCA, and our staff we wish to thank Kent for his commitment to building strong family and community ties at the YMCA. I know that even though he has stepped down from our Board, Kent will always assist the Suffolk Family YMCA as we continue to grow and serve Suffolk’s families.

K.E. Morgan is a current YMCA member and volunteer who logged more than 700 volunteer hours last year for the Suffolk Family YMCA’s aquatics program. K.E. is an avid swimmer who uses his skill as a pool operator to help us maintain the indoor pool, outdoor pool, baby pool and spray park. K.E. is always available to our staff to answer questions or troubleshoot operational problems with our pools.

His leadership and guidance are crucial to maintaining the high quality of the Suffolk Family YMCA’s aquatics program. As the 2009 recipient of the Suffolk Family YMCA’s Service to Youth Award, K.E. joins many other volunteers who regularly give of their time and skills to advance the YMCA mission in Suffolk.

Thank you, K.E., for all that you do, and please know that we are truly thankful for your service.

Every day, the Suffolk Family YMCA strives to build strong kids, strong families, strong communities. Without great leaders and volunteers like Kent Spain and K.E. Morgan it would be impossible for us to serve as a community center where families can grow in spirit, mind and body and where individuals form bonds of lifelong friendship that strengthen our community.

If you are interested in volunteering at the Suffolk Family YMCA, please contact our Member Services Desk at 934-9622 or you may contact me via e-mail at jclark@ymcashr.org.