The Greater Joliet Area YMCA hosted its 2026 Heritage Club Dinner at Mistwood Golf Club on Tuesday, September 29. 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.
Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair led a special toast in recognition of the Y’s Centennial, a milestone officially reached the same evening as the Heritage Club Dinner, and 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.
Celebration of Charitable Giving
Following dinner, Leclair welcomed YMCA Endowment Development Committee and Heritage Club member Donna Zanzola, who spoke about the inspiring impact of charitable giving and how it has shaped a century of service for the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.
Leclair was then joined at the podium by Joliet Community YMCA Advisory Council Chair Larry Wiers and Greater Joliet Area YMCA Director of Competitive Aquatics Dave Hedden to present the William R. Lauer Service to Youth Award to longtime YMCA volunteer and donor Bob Baish. Baish has been a supporter of the YMCA’s JETS Swim Team for more than 30 years, helping lead the Friends of Swimming volunteer group responsible for transporting and operating the electronic timing system used at swim meets.
Baish addressed guests for brief remarks, giving credit to fellow volunteer Lee Rakoski for opening the door to support the JETS. He added that, in addition to providing the best possible experience for YMCA athletes, the fellowship built by more than three decades of volunteering has been equally rewarding.
The event concluded with Leclair announcing the establishment of the Safe Waters, Strong Futures Endowment Fund, which will help to create a permanent source of support for YMCA aquatic programs.
“At the Y, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to feel safe, confident, and capable when they are in and around the water,” Leclair said. “As we step forward into our second century of service, we have an incredible opportunity to work together to make an investment that can help save lives and create a legacy of safer waters in our community for generations to come.”
An Invitation for Impact
Chief Business Development Officer Missy Durkin 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. To make a donation to the Safe Waters, Strong Futures Endowment Fund, select the fund from the donation dropdown of our online giving portal.
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