Lakewood Ranch YMCA fundraiser to be good for the soul

Motown & Soul, a fundraiser being held Nov. 4, at the Lake Club Model Preview Center, certainly aims to raise funds for its host, the Lakewood Ranch YMCA.

Just as important, though, the event acts as another opportunity for the YMCA to play a role in bringing the community together.

“People always viewed us as a swim and gym,” said Stacey McKee, senior executive director at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA. “Now I like to think of it as a community center.”

McKee learned about the social aspect of the YMCA seven years ago when she was hired.

“I ended up becoming a part of a network of moms who were doing things to stay fit and be supportive of each other,” McKee said.

While swim lessons and gym workouts can certainly promote a healthy lifestyle, McKee said the support that comes along with joining the YMCA changed her life.

She emphasized that support is open to everyone, from children to seniors.

“The YMCA is so much more than a gym ... it is very much a community,” McKee said. “We like to think of it as a space where you can come and be a part of a family.”

Motown & Soul will be the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year, which will give the YMCA the opportunity to fund its programs.

“We have done dinners before, but this is the first Motown event,” McKee said. “We have a new board, and we wanted to do something fresh.”

The event will include a live band, dinner, dancing, a raffle and a silent auction.

The goal is to raise $100,000. McKee said they are “a good part of the way there.”

Part of the money raised will go to scholarships to help people join who can’t afford the membership fees. McKee said the money raised will go directly back into the community.

Funds also will go into its new program, Special Organized Adult Recreation, or SOAR, which launches Nov. 1.

SOAR is meant to help special-needs adults have a gathering place where they can make friends and socialize.

The program started at the Parish branch, where it saw a need,  McKee said. 

“There will be some kind of fitness component, and they’ll do crafts and sometimes even sing karaoke. We like to think of the Y as a place for everyone,” she said. “Athletes are welcome, kids are welcome, and adults with special needs are welcome. We like to have something for everyone.”