Moody Family YMCA Ready to Roll Out The Purple

Kurt VandeMotter: Annual fundraising campaign seeks $800,000+

With February’s arrival, watch for YMCA flags at Highland Park Village, participating businesses distributing flyers good for trial activations, and purple bows tied around Park Cities trees.

“It’s one of the colors of our logo, and since the high school uses two of the other colors – blue and yellow – we thought we would go purple,” Kurt VandeMotter explained.

As the 2023 Annual Campaign chair, he’s looking forward to the beginning of what he calls “Y Week,” an effort to build awareness about what the Moody Family YMCA is doing and encourage donors to reach this year’s $800,000 fundraising goal.

“So many people think of it as a workout facility or where your kids go to play sports,” he said.

However, a quick but incomplete look at the service offered at 6000 Preston Road shows a range of options for all ages:

• Fitness and nutrition instruction

• Swimming lessons and lifeguard training

• After-school opportunities

• Programs for fathers and children

• Camps

• Sports leagues (which, by the way, include esports now)

VandeMotter, 63, who first participated in YMCA programs as a child in East Lansing, Michigan, has been involved with the Moody Family Y for 31 years and on its board for three.

“My life story is I learned how to swim at the YMCA and used to go camping with them,” he said, adding his 3-year-old grandson attends Y programs in Denver.

However, Kurt VandeMotter’s favorite program at the Moody Family Y isn’t meant for him.

“It’s the Rise School,” he said.

The nonprofit Ashford Rise School of Dallas has partnered with the Y since 2016, using the Park Cities facilities to provide an inclusive environment for early education service for children with and without disabilities, ages 6 months to 6 years.

“Each of the classrooms has 10 kids in it, but they each have four teachers with advanced degrees,” VandeMotter said. “What we are trying to do is mainstream these kids so by the time they get to kindergarten, they can go into a regular classroom and learn with kids their same age at the same time.”

One goal of the Y’s annual campaign is making that type of education more accessible to families.

VandeMotter expects $325,000 of the funds raised to keep tuition costs down so that families can pay $1,800 instead of $6,000 monthly.

The 2022 campaign drew 809 gifts for $728,271 raised, executive director Nick Echtenkamp said.

Though the 2023 goal is a bit higher, the purpose of the funds remains the same: helping others access the Y programs.

“It does not turn the lights on. It does not pay salaries,” VandeMotter said. “It all goes back into the community.”