GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA hosted its 2025 Heritage Club Dinner at Mistwood Golf Club on Thursday, October 16. Held annually, this evening celebrates charitable giving at the YMCA and recognizes those donors who have chosen to make a legacy gift to the Y.

Heritage Club membership is granted to those individuals who have included a gift for the YMCA in their will or estate plans. Many Heritage Club members have also generously established a named endowment fund or supported the YMCA’s General Endowment Fund, which helps to ensure that no one is turned away from the Y due to the inability to pay.

Message of Thanks

The evening began with Greater Joliet Area YMCA Endowment Development Committee Chair Susan Lee  welcoming those in attendance and thanking them for their continued support of the Y’s mission. Lee also thanked her fellow committee members for helping plan this annual event and previewed the stories of impact that would be shared throughout the night. Lee then invited Endowment Development Committee Volunteer and YMCA Board Member Jackie Bersano to the podium to offer the evening’s invocation.

Celebration of Charitable Giving

Following dinner, Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair reflected on the incredible support the Y continues to receive from the community. She recognized past YMCA donors, volunteers, and employees whose foresight and vision laid the groundwork to shape what the organization has become today. 

Leclair then welcomed YMCA Board Member and Heritage Club member Guy Christensen, who spoke about the inspiring impact of charitable giving and how it has shaped his personal Y story. Guy and his wife, Jan, served as co-chairs of the Morris YMCA Capital Campaign Leadership Cabinet, which successfully raised more than $21 million to build the new Morris Hospital YMCA. He also expressed their gratitude for being able to establish a new endowment fund—ensuring their support of the Y will continue to make a difference for generations to come.

Following Guy’s remarks, the Y recognized C.W. Avery Family YMCA members Jose Murillo and Rosa Garcia, along with their five daughters—Jackie, Camila, Alexa, Maya, and Mia. Nearly seven years ago, Jose and Rosa became involved with the YMCA and, through the support of the Y’s financial assistance program, were able to enroll their daughters in swim lessons, tumbling, and ballet classes. As the girls spent more time in the pool, their passion for swimming grew, leading them to join the JETS Swim Team, where they learned the values of teamwork and sportsmanship, and discovered a true love for the sport. None of this would have been possible without the Y’s financial assistance program and the generosity of donors who believe in and support the Y’s mission.

The event concluded with a special presentation of the William R. Lauer Service to Youth Award to longtime YMCA volunteer, donor, and chairman of the Joliet Community YMCA Advisory Council Larry Wiers. 

“Larry has been a longtime champion of youth development at the YMCA. His expertise and dedication to helping students become the best version of themselves, and prepare for the future, has had an incredible impact on YMCA programs and their participants. We are so thankful for his continued leadership and support,” Katy Leclair said. 

Leclair was joined at the podium by YMCA Board Members Bill Lauer and Don DeGeus, who presented the award to Wiers, who then addressed guests.

Wiers praised the examples put forth by fellow volunteers, like Lauer, and reflected on his more than 50-year career as an educator and school superintendent. He emphasized the impact each person can make in their community, particularly in the lives of young people, even when the effects aren’t immediately visible.

An Invitation for Impact  

Endowment Development Committee Volunteer Donna Zanzola closed the evening by explaining the mission of the Heritage Club and invited guests to explore opportunities to leave a legacy gift to the YMCA.

The YMCA’s doors continue to expand with open arms and it is through gifts like those provided by Heritage Club members that make this possible.

To learn more about Heritage Club membership and making a legacy gift to the YMCA, please click here or contact Missy Durkin, Chief Business Development Officer at (815) 513-8210.