By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Several local donors have shown support for the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign.

The Strong Kids Campaign is a national fundraising effort that supports the education and socialization of children and teens.

“We all use the Strong Kids logo, but we all do the campaign for our own individual communities,” said Jason Calhoun, Vice President of the YMCA. “So the money that we receive – 100 percent of the money – stays in the county.”

The campaign helps the YMCA pay staff for after-school programs, pay staff for summer camp and buy supplies and materials. The children receive help with their homework and use these supplies to learn with creative activities and develop important social skills, according to Calhoun.

Money given to Strong Kids translates directly into paying the costs of the above-mentioned programs. The YMCA works with families so that they pay a reasonable amount and donated funds meet them somewhere in the middle.

Among the donors who have shown support for the Strong Kids Campaign are Britt Culpepper with Peoples Southern Bank and Al Headley with Wadsworth Oil. The two donated money to the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. Calhoun and Bryan Petty, President of the YMCA, formally accepted their checks at the YMCA on Aug. 19.

Recently, Joseph Parnell also gave a donation on behalf of Parnell, Inc. to the facility upkeep fund at the YMCA. The donation was formally accepted on Sept. 1.

“They [the YMCA] provide a safe, Christian environment for our local kids and even adults to come and exercise and be safe,” said Parnell. He said his family has enjoyed the services the YMCA provides for years and they wanted to show their support.

To find out more about how to support the YMCA, go to ymcaofchiltoncounty.com.