
The Granite YMCA 170th Annual Celebration
December 19, 2024The Granite YMCA 170th Annual Celebration
On December 4, 2024, The Granite YMCA held an awards ceremony during which volunteers, community supporters, donors, and employees gathered to recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments of The Granite YMCA over the past year.
“As CEO, I want to share my deep appreciation for the yearlong support, passion, and dedication of our donors, Board members, and community members. It was a heartwarming experience to be together in celebration of the impact we have on the community. We have extraordinary team leaders, staff, donors and Board members working tirelessly to support and further our mission and I am humbled to be a part of it,” said Michele Sheppard, CEO of The Granite YMCA.
Celebrations included: Mark R. Stebbins Youth of the Year Award, Tom and Sally Addison Volunteer of the Year Award, Community Service Awards, and Chairperson's Awards
Mark R. Stebbins Youth of the Year Award
In recognition of his volunteerism and strong leadership skills, Wyatt Sawyer was presented with the Mark R. Stebbins Youth of the Year award. Wyatt is a graduate of the YSTAY program at Parkside Middle School where he chose to be in a class revolving around academic support, life skills, and social emotional learning. He attended the Y’s Power Scholars Program and became a Leader in Training for several summers developing his leadership skills and knowledge of mentoring with younger Power Scholars participants.
Last year, Wyatt joined the Manchester School Aged Child Care Program as an employee. He quickly demonstrated his leadership skills helping the elementary students build positive friendships and supporting younger students' efforts for learning and creating positive relationships.
Wyatt has just completed a second year as a Power Scholars summer staff employee. Serving as the enrichment coordinator and facilitator of the enrichment programming for students grade 1-8 during all 6 weeks of camp. Wyatt Sawyer demonstrates a caring heart and attention to detail creating an atmosphere that puts smiles on all the children’s faces. He constantly goes above and beyond to find ways to make camp a better experience for all the participants. For these and other reasons, Wyatt Sawyer embodies the Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
Tom and Sally Addison Volunteer of the Year Award
In recognition of his extraordinary leadership over the last several years, the Tom and Sally Addison Volunteer of the Year award was presented to David Kuhn.
For 18 years, David has served on The Granite YMCA Board of Directors, and for more than two decades has served on a variety of Y committees and participated in countless Greater Manchester Y events, graduations, celebrations and has been an active participant in raising funds for the Y’s financial assistance program over many years.
David deeply believes in the mission of the Y and values the community impact provided to youth and families of all ages and abilities. During his tenure as a volunteer, David became a member on the Y’s Finance Committee, Financial Development Committee, a Co-chair for the annual Gala, and joined a Y Task Force to address a critical community need. He consistently provided sound and objective advice on the Y’s annual budget and audit process, and is trusted to respectfully, frequently and thoughtfully weigh in on a myriad of discussions to The Granite Y’s sustainability, debt management and accountability to the Y’s strategic priorities.
Community Service Awards
The association presented Community Service Awards to key community business partners for their charitable support and dedication to The Granite YMCA including:
- Dr. Dylan Thomas, Endocrinologist at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
- Patricia Carty, President & CEO Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester
- Pastor Calvin Daly and the Congregation from Beacon Church
Chairperson’s Awards
The following individuals were honored with a Chairperson’s Award for their outstanding volunteer service to The Granite YMCA:
- The YMCA of Downtown Manchester Food Pantry Committee, including Kraig Burnham, Camille Madden, Dan O’Connor, Lorraine Tyma, and Chris Urick
- Rich Parsons
- Brenda Young
- Bill Peake and Lynn Hapgood
- Jodi Langellotti
About The Granite YMCA
As one of the state’s longest standing and most enduring non-profits, The Granite YMCA focuses on youth development, healthy living, social responsibility, and family strengthening. Across the state, its seven branches and two overnight camps, engages 30,000 men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to improve their health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. In 2024, The Granite YMCA provided financial assistance and free services valued at over $1.6 million to 12,937 individuals. To learn more, please visit www.graniteymca.org.