TOWANDA - Jenny Stone of Leroy Township said she has had trouble finding a summer recreational program in the area for her 9-year-old twin sons, who have cerebral palsy and autism.
In general, programs in the area wouldn't be able to include the boys in at least some of their activities, she said.
But she said her troubles ended when she enrolled the twins in the Bradford County Branch YMCA's day camp last summer.
The Y incorporated her children in all of the camp's activities and even rented a wheelchair bus so that the they could go on all the camp's field trips, Stone said.
The Y's staff "were so excited to have the boys. They made us feel really welcome," Stone said.
Stone said her sons were able to attend the camp for the entire summer with the help of a scholarship provided by the YMCA.
Stone talked about her experiences with the camp on Wednesday at the kickoff breakfast for the Bradford County Branch YMCA's 2014 Annual Campaign, which raises money for the scholarships that the local Y provides for its programs.
The scholarships are given to community members who could not otherwise afford the Y's services, and the financial assistance is available for all of the YMCA's programs, including after-school care, sports programs for children and adults, the day camp, and senior citizen programs, as well as for memberships in the YMCA, said Charity Field, executive director of the Bradford County Branch YMCA.
The Annual Campaign used to be called the "Strong Kids Campaign" but its name was changed this year to reflect the fact that the scholarships aren't just for kids, but for adults and families, said Shannon Clark, president of the Bradford County Branch YMCA's board of directors.
Despite the name change, the purpose of the fund-raising campaign remains exactly the same: to raise money to provide scholarships, Clark said.
This year, the Annual Campaign has a fund-raising goal of $25,000, up from last year's fund-raising goal of $20,000, Field said.
The fundraising target was increased because the amount of money raised in the 2013 campaign was far less than the $34,000 in scholarships that the Bradford County Branch YMCA provided last year, Field said.
"The good news is that more people are coming to the Y" in Bradford County, Clark said. But with the increased demand to use the Y's programs, there is a need to find more money to pay for an increased number of scholarships, she said.
The Bradford County Branch YMCA's 2014 Annual Campaign is scheduled to last six weeks, Field said. All of the money raised in 2014 Annual Campaign "stays local" and will only be used by the Bradford County Branch YMCA, she said.
When members of the public seek to use the local Y and its programs, "no one is turned away due to an inability to pay," Field said. And the funds raised in the annual campaign allows that policy to remain in place, she said.
At the kickoff breakfast, the teachers from the Towanda School District presented a $235 donation to the annual campaign.
Also at the breakfast, representatives of Partners in Family & Community Development (PFCD) presented a $500 donation to the campaign.
PFCD presented the contribution in memory of the Rev. David Morris of Canton, who died on Jan. 29 and who had served on the board of directors of PFCD for five years and had been involved with many other organizations in the county.
"Kids were his (Morris') thing," said Joyce Kerrick, executive director of PFCD. "We think the YMCA is the perfect place to make a donation in his honor."
The public can donate to the 2014 Annual Campaign through the local YMCA's website, which is www.bradfordcountyymca.org, Field said.
Another way to contribute to the campaign is to make out a check to "Bradford County Branch YMCA," earmark it for "Annual Campaign," and mail it to Bradford County Branch YMCA, 9 College Ave., Towanda, PA 18848, she said.
You can also arrange to make your donation in such a way that it leverages a matching donation by Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, Field said. To do that, between 6 p.m. on March 12 and 11:59 p.m. on March 13, go to www.raisetheregion.org and select the River Valley Regional YMCA to support, and your gift will be matched by a generous donation from Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships, Field said.
Hurley's Supermarkets donated the cost of the breakfast, Field said.
For more information on how to donate, call the YMCA at (570) 268-9622.