November 2024

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DON KERR

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Greetings!

The time has come for me to turn over the leadership of being president of your Upper Midwest Chapter of YMCA Alumni to someone else. Thank you for continually voting for me year after year after year. I’ll be honoring my promise to Phyllis to spend more time fishing! It has been my honor to serve you all.

I am grateful to Orville Lindquist, our current Vice-President, who will step into the role as our chapter’s new president.

See you all at our Christmas party on December 3rd!

Photo: This is how Don and Phyllis looked when he first became President (according to Don, of course).

ORVILLE LINDQUIST

SOON TO BE OUR PRESIDENT

Orville Lindquist will become President of the Upper Midwest Chapter of YMCA Alumni December 3 after the election of Chapter YMCA Alumni Officers. Orville has had a distinguished and mission-driven YMCA career for the YMCA of the North for the past 32 years. Thank you, Orville, and we look forward to your leadership.

SAVE THE DATES

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON AND MORE

The 2024 Annual Upper Midwest YMCA Alumni Christmas Luncheon is set for Tuesday, December 3, 2024, from 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Saint Paul Town and Country Club, ((300 Mississippi River Blvd. N, St. Paul, MN 55104). The entertainment for this year’s YMCA luncheon is “Curtin and Loretta.” Registration information will be sent to you in early November. We look forward to seeing each of you.

SUMMER PICNIC

The 2025 YMCA Alumni Summer Picnic is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24, 2025, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Burnes Park East Shelter, 301 2nd Street North Hopkins, MN 55343.

2025 CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

The 2025 YMCA Alumni Annual Christmas Luncheon is set for Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Saint Paul Town and Country Club. (300 Mississippi River Blvd. N, St. Paul, MN 55104).

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Greg Hanks

Twila Hanks

Lynn Harrington

Bob Gagner and Chris Bennett-Gagner

Mary Kelly and Dennis Kelly

Kathy Kuhlman

Terri Kruger

Gail Sarfehjoo

Tom and Kathy Sisler

Douglas Wallace and Margaret Hunter

Ralph Winn

UPDATE:

NATIONAL SERVICE PROJECT

All four tiny homes in what is now called the Morningstar Community by the YMCA of the Seven Council Firesare on track t o be completed outside and inside for a planned Dedication Weekend next September.

Photo by Randi Sidman-Moore

BY DON KERR

It was a special honor to assist the Upper Midwest Chapter of the YMCA Alumni Campaign for the National YMCA Alumni Service Project (NSP) for the YMCA of the Seven Council Fires on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

Other chapter leaders of the Campaign were Doug Herron and Jeri Glick-Anderson. The Upper Midwest Chapter YMCA Alumni raised $35,000 with donations from YMCA Alumni Chapter members with the help of Glen Gunderson, CEO of the YMCA of the North; Bill Bauman, CEO of the Missouri Valley Family YMCA of Bismarck, ND; and Roger Mazurek, CEO of the Minot Family YMCA in Minot, ND.

The National YMCA Alumni Campaign Committee raised a total of $1,000,000 over a two-year period. That will cover all the costs of four mini-home projects, as well as the Twig Program Centers to be constructed in remote villages on the reservation for outreach programming. A big "thank you” goes out to everyone who has made this initiative a great success!