YMCA celebrates $500k pledge

Fundraising for a community center in Willow Springs received a significant boost. A single donor, a company that wishes to remain anonymous, has pledged $500,000 towards a new YMCA facility, said Ozarks Family YMCA Board Member Derek Fredrick. 

 

The company is an area employer, Fredrick said, and is particularly interested in the childcare facilities the new facility will provide. 

 

With now a total of $900,000 in pledges and other donations and still $300,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) credits to sell, the project is projecting to have a little more than a million dollars raised. The overall goal is five million dollars. 

 

It’s a multi-year plan, Fredrick said, but it’s great to see the vision get some momentum. The current Main St. facility is too small for the expansion the board has planned. A capital campaign kicked off in earnest in August 2025. There have been setbacks, such as missing out on appropriations from the state of Missouri, but the board is committed to keep trying different  ways to serve Willow Springs with a community center. 

 

To donate or to purchase NAP credits, contact Fredrick at 417-259-1044 or Ozarks Family YMCA CEO Chad Watson at 417-349-1701.