The YMCA Celebrates Military Appreciation Month

November is Military Appreciation Month in the Spokane Community

Supporting local Armed Services families while loved ones are deployed, the YMCA helps military families stay happy and healthy.

[SPOKANE, WA OCTOBER 31, 2019] – November is Military Family Month, providing Americans the opportunity to recognize the dedication, sacrifice and service of military personnel and their families. The YMCA of the Inland Northwest supports military families this November and all year round through programs and initiatives that improve their well-being and provide opportunities to connect with other families waiting at home.

With our thanks and appreciation of their service, Military and Veterans can visit any Spokane, WA and Sandpoint, ID YMCA for a FREE 2-Week Guest Pass November 3-16, 2019. Join fees will be waived in November with membership initiation.

“Military families have many needs when a loved one is away from home,” said Steve Tammaro, President/CEO, YMCA of the Inland Northwest. “Whether it’s proving a place where kids can make friends and have a sense of belonging or providing a place for adults to meet health goals, the Y has a number of options to help here in the Spokane area.”

An example of how the YMCA supports our local military: George, a supervisor for the US Navy Recruiting in the Inland Northwest is grateful for the YMCA. Originally from Texas, he and his wife Jacinta along with their seven children have moved several times around the country but have always been able to join a YMCA thanks to the Military Outreach program. Being able to take the kids to the Y during George’s two deployments was vitally important to his wife. The YMCA has provided the perfect place for the Wagner family to spend time together having fun and the whole family has been able to stay healthy and participate in a variety of programs for all ages. For George as a serviceman of the US Navy, that meant being able to stay in shape to pass his fitness tests. For the rest of the family, it meant swim lessons, pool-time fun, playing on basketball teams and just enjoying all the Y has to offer. “The YMCA Military Outreach Program has been a blessing to me and my family for many years,” says George.

Here in the Spokane community, the YMCA supports military families by offering memberships through the Military Outreach Initiative. Since 2008, this initiative has provided more than 75,000 YMCA memberships to military members nationwide. In addition, our YMCA provides a Corporate Membership discount for military and their families with status: Active Duty, Reserves and National Guard. Currently, more than 190 families benefit from this program locally. In addition, YMCA provides discounts for veterans; more than 340 families are being served.

First established by the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) and recognized by first lady Nancy Reagan in 1993, Military Family Month recognizes the dedication and service of military personnel and their families. On Oct. 30, 2009, President Barack Obama continued this important initiative by proclaiming November as Military Family Month, calling on “all Americans to honor military families through private actions and public service for the tremendous contributions they make in the support of our service members and our Nation.”

To learn more about the YMCA and programming that supports military families, contact Carrie Clanton, Corporate Relations Director, 509 777 9622 x 444, ymcainw.org.

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About the Y

The YMCA of the Inland Northwest is dedicated to our cause of strengthening the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Regardless of age, income or background – we nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support our neighbors. Anchored in the Spokane community for 135 years, the YMCA has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. Visit ymcainw.org.