FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 5, 2013
WEAVER FAMILY GIVES $1 MILLION TO SUPPORT CHILDREN IN UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR NEW RIVERSIDE Y
Through the Weaver Family Foundation Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast received $1 million for the new Riverside Y project, which was recently named to honor local civic leader and philanthropist James H. Winston.
The gift comes from Delores Barr Weaver’s passion for young people growing up in under-resourced neighborhoods around downtown. “The Y provides opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, from children to seniors, to come together in a supportive, inclusive atmosphere for growth and learning, regardless of their ability to pay,” she said. “From outreach programs focused on education and literacy to chronic disease prevention, we believe this new Y will be a valuable community resource for northeast Florida.”
The Weaver Family will be honored in the naming of an outdoor park that will be built on site at the new YMCA. The Weaver Riverfront Park will connect the new 65,000 square-foot-facility to the Riverwalk and include features like a sunrise lawn, a water feature, courtyard seating and more.
The new Winston Family YMCA will serve as the hub of the First Coast YMCA’s efforts to reduce chronic illnesses such as cancer, stroke and diabetes. It will ring healthy living programs into the heart of neighborhoods where people need them most. The new space is also intended to allow the community branch to offer greater support to 5,000 Westside, Downtown and East Jacksonville children through programs that focus on literacy, healthy habits, summer learning and leadership.
“The Weaver Family’s generosity has made a tremendous difference in our community through the years,” said YMCA President and CEO Eric Mann. “We are particularly grateful and proud to be among the list of charitable organizations these outstanding philanthropists believe in.”
The YMCA expects to break ground on the new YMCA this December.
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The Y – For more than 100 years, the Y on the First Coast has been providing men, women and children of all ages, and from all walks of life, build stronger bonds, live healthy and become more engaged with their communities. Learn more: www.FirstCoastYMCA.org.
For more information, contact:
Nikos Westmoreland
Vice President of Communications
YMCA of Florida’s First Coast
O 904.265.1773 M 904.635.0954
nwestmoreland@firstcoastymca.org
