Congratulations to YMCA of the Sandhills!

The votes are in – congratulations to YMCA of the Sandhills, our winner for March 2014’s “Answer the Call” contest. Here’s a picture of the presentation of their $500 check:

“Answer the Call” is Blanton’s nifty way of giving back to our community. We ask our clients and neighbors to nominate charities or organizations doing good work in our area, then choose three and ask everyone who stops by our site to vote for their favorite. But the best part? Each month’s winner gets a $500 check (yep, just like the one above!).

We’re stoked about March’s winner. YMCA of the Sandhills offers a fab range of activities for people of all ages – from youth sports to swimming lessons to adult activities. Their overall goal is to create programs based in Christian principles that “build a healthy spirit, mind, body for all”. But when it comes to their goal with “Answer the Call” funds, one thing fires up these funky folks: swim lessons.

“Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children 12 and under,” says Kathy Foxen, Membership Services Director. Many parents in the Fayetteville area, however, cannot afford to give their kids swimming lessons. With the funds, YMCA of the Sandhills will be able to offer reduced or free swimming lessons, giving more children this important ability. These swimming lessons provided by the “Answer the Call” winnings will “literally save lives,” Foxen says.

Yep, we think that’s the kind of community work that “Answer the Call” is meant to reward, hands down. Thank you to YMCA of the Sandhills for keeping our kids safe, teaching them an important skill, and giving them a chance to have fun while doing so! We think that’s outta sight.

That’s why we cannot emphasize enough how amazing it is when you, our clients and neighbors in Fayetteville, nominate and vote on organizations for “Answer the Call”. For us, giving back to the community that has given so much to us is a no-brainer; but it means oh-so-much more when you swell people get involved. It becomes a way that we can all say thank you to those who build up our community – now that’s something to get jazzed about.