Valley group pushing for local YMCA

WASILLA — Kerri Whittecar has a vision to make the Mat-Su Valley a better place for kids.

This vision would bring an establishment often commonplace in the Lower 48 to Wasilla. It caters to families, offers programs to keep youth busy and once was the subject of a popular disco song.

Whittecar wants a YMCA in the Valley.

“Our children in the Valley are in desperate need of healthy programs,” Whittecar said.

The Wasilla mother of two is spearheading a local steering committee aimed at convincing YMCA executives the Valley is ready for a club. Whittecar became motivated for the cause one day last week while eating at local fast-food restaurant and watching a gaggle of teenagers loiter around the parking lot.

But it takes community interest before the YMCA is willing to open a location somewhere new, she said.

“We really need to make an impact,” she said.

A Web site — www.matsuymca.org — is set up for residents to complete a survey gauging their interest in a YMCA.

Whittecar said YMCA officials will use results from the survey to make a decision on when and if the Valley is ready for one of their clubs. The survey also asks what responders would want in a YMCA in regard to programs and activities.

Community interest is the most important aspect right now, said Mike Ellis, a resource director with Chicago-based YMCA of the USA.

A Valley YMCA would rely on fundraising and membership dues to stay afloat financially, Ellis said, which is why a strong community interest is key.

“It’s whether the community can actually support the YMCA,” Ellis said, adding that while a lot of people think of the YMCA as a building-based operation, that’s not the way to start.

“The best place to start would be some kind of program extension out of the Anchorage YMCA that could provide staff and leadership,” Ellis said.

If the Anchorage YMCA gets on board with a Wasilla location, Ellis said it could provide staff and other support for community programs that could implement ahead of a building in the Valley.

A message left with Larry Parker, CEO of YMCA in Anchorage, seeking his input on a Wasilla YMCA was not returned by press time.

For now, Whittecar and her steering group will continue trying to get the word out and gain support for a local “Y.”

The group has set up an account at Wells Fargo banks in the Valley, where tax-deductible donations can be made toward a YMCA. Ellis will be in Alaska Aug. 11 to meet with the local steering committee and Parker to assess the viability of a Wasilla location.

Ellis will bring his advice; the rest is up to the community.

“We bring consulting resources to support helping to get a YMCA,” he said. “We don’t bring financial resources.”

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiers- man.com or 352-2252.