The Wang YMCA celebrated its 96 year history and its 10th year at the Oak Street location on November 7, 2010 with their second annual Legacy Dinner. Guests enjoyed a 10-course Chinese banquet, lion dance and tai chi performances, and raffle and silent auction items. The event also honored three special community leaders who have helped the Wang YMCA deliver its mission of “improving the health, mind, body, and spirit of individuals and families in our communities.”
Kevin Washington, President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston, spoke of the lasting impact that the YMCA has had on Chinatown: “For nearly 100 years, the Y in Chinatown has offered programs that help kids reach their potential…and that encourage everyone to get involved and make their community a better place.” The old South Cove/Chinatown YMCA bubble facility that once stood on Tyler Street is no longer. Since 2000, the Wang YMCA opened its current Oak Street location and has flourished. In its 10th year now at the current location, programs and services have expanded to include child care, health and wellness activities for seniors, and initiatives for at-risk youth.
The event recognized three special community leaders who have contributed to the Chinese community and the Wang YMCA. The first honoree is Alan E. Lewis, chairman of Grand Circle Travel & Kensington Investments. Having purchased property in the Chinatown neighborhood, Lewis developed a special relationship with the community and the Wang YMCA. The second honoree is Dr. Lonnie Norris, Dean of Tufts University School of Dentistry, whose chief priority has been to nurture the relationship between the dental school and Chinatown. Under Norris’s leadership, programs have developed in collaboration with the dental school to provide health and dental education to students of the Boston Public Schools. The third honoree is Nancy Yee Solomon, a life-long Chinatown YMCA member/volunteer and member of the YMCA Board of Advisors. Recounting how she grew up in Chinatown and became involved with the Y, Solomon expressed how her desire to volunteer and help the community stemmed from the values that she learned from home: “I learned that it is important to give back…my parents were always helping others, and that’s what motivated me…my heart will always be in Chinatown and at the Wang YMCA.”
For more information about the Wang YMCA, please visit: http://www.ymcaboston.org/wang/
Joanne Wong is a Sampan correspondent.
