Henry County supervisors will receive an end-of-year update on the ongoing effort to construct a new YMCA facility in Martinsville, during their 3 p.m. regular session Tuesday at the county administration building.
First announced in September, the YMCA project kicked off with a $12 million donation from the Harvest Foundation.
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During their September announcement, project officials said fundraising would be emphasized. The project is estimated at $28 million. Since then several entities have donated seed funding to the project.
Most recently, Campbell family siblings Clay Campbell and Sarah Fain donated $500,000 to the project. The pair are the grandchildren of H. Clay Earles, the founder of the Martinsville Speedway.
“This new YMCA will have a tremendous impact on so many residents throughout Martinsville and Henry County,” Campbell said. “Sarah and I are pleased to be able to support such an important community project.”
Carter Bank also donated $500,000 to the project.
“Our commitment to helping people live life to the fullest aligns perfectly with the Martinsville-Henry County YMCA’s dedication to giving people of all walks of life the opportunity to reach their full potential,” Carter Bank CEO Litz Van Dyke said. “By supporting the new facility, we’re not making an investment to the building, we’re making an investment into our community and increasing opportunities for people in Martinsville and Henry County to prosper.”
In October George Lester II, representing the Lester family, also donated $2.5 million to the project. Because of the donation, the facility will be known as the Lester Family YMCA.
“The YMCA leadership is grateful to Mr. Lester for his commitment to the proposed YMCA,” said Brad Kinkema, CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Family YMCA. “We’re hopeful Mr. Lester’s commitment will encourage additional donations during the leadership phase of the fundraising campaign for the Y.”
Project officials have managed to raise around $4.5 million in addition to the $12 million Harvest donation.
