The YMCAs of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo Story

We're contributing a more than 100-year old fir beam is taken from a local manufacturer in Waterloo Region.  It reveals the different rings and layers that make up a tree, representing the generations of families who served at every level of the YMCA like the Grebs, Chaplins and Kaufmans.

We're also contributing a strip of maple is a reminder of the community-building activities that take place in our gyms.  The YMCA Jingle Bell Run, which began 20 years ago in Cambridge, is remembered by these red and green bells.  Although the race has evolved from a finish line of ropes and wooden holders to chip timing, the spirit of community and giving has not changed.