Florida Senate - 2026                            (NP)    SR 1764
       
       
        
       By Senator Harrell
       
       
       
       
       
       31-01860-26                                           20261764__
    1                          Senate Resolution                        
    2         A resolution honoring the YMCA to mark the
    3         organization’s 175th anniversary in the United States.
    4  
    5         WHEREAS, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) marks
    6  its 175th anniversary in 2026, having been founded in the United
    7  States by Thomas Valentine Sullivan at the Old South Church in
    8  Boston, Massachusetts, on December 29, 1851, and
    9         WHEREAS, inspired by the YMCA movement in England, the
   10  organization has carried on the mission to put Christian
   11  principles into practice by building healthy spirit, mind, and
   12  body for all, and
   13         WHEREAS, the YMCA has continually adapted to meet the
   14  evolving needs of American communities, strengthening society by
   15  bringing people together, fostering relationships, and creating
   16  a sense of belonging, and
   17         WHEREAS, the YMCA’s legacy includes providing safe housing
   18  during the Industrial Revolution, pioneering the first night
   19  school and English as a Second Language classes, inventing
   20  basketball, and providing the first group swim lessons, and
   21         WHEREAS, the YMCA served as the birthplace of Father’s Day,
   22  with the first celebration held at the YMCA in Spokane,
   23  Washington, in 1910; established the Youth and Government
   24  program in 1936, a premier civic engagement initiative that
   25  continues today; and led humanitarian efforts during wartime,
   26  including the work of John R. Mott, YMCA leader and President
   27  Woodrow Wilson’s General Secretary for the National War Work
   28  Council, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946 for
   29  undertaking such efforts, and
   30         WHEREAS, the YMCA has become the nation’s leading nonprofit
   31  provider of child care and afterschool programs since the 1970s
   32  and 1980s to support working families, has served as the leading
   33  provider of emergency child care for frontline workers, and was
   34  a significant provider of food during the coronavirus pandemic,
   35  and
   36         WHEREAS, today, nearly 2,600 YMCAs serve more than 10,000
   37  neighborhoods across every state and territory, with more than
   38  300,000 staff and 350,000 volunteers delivering essential
   39  programs to over 17 million people annually, including almost 11
   40  million adults and 6.5 million children and youth, and
   41         WHEREAS, the YMCA is a leader in providing swim lessons,
   42  camping programs, youth sports, meal programs, lifestyle health,
   43  and fitness and well-being programs, and is the largest provider
   44  of fitness programs for older adults, and
   45         WHEREAS, the YMCA serves people of all ages, backgrounds,
   46  and abilities, creating spaces where all people feel welcome,
   47  are treated with respect, and find opportunities to connect with
   48  their neighbors, and
   49         WHEREAS, YMCAs across the nation are working to build
   50  stronger, more connected communities through intentional
   51  experiences that help people achieve their goals, foster
   52  connection, and promote well-being in order to build
   53  relationships and thrive, and
   54         WHEREAS, in 2026, YMCAs nationwide will host special events
   55  that celebrate the moments, programs, and people that have
   56  shaped their stories, NOW, THEREFORE,
   57  
   58  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
   59  
   60         That the Florida Senate congratulates and expresses
   61  appreciation to the YMCA for 175 years of service to the nation.
   62         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida Senate recognizes
   63  the YMCA’s role in responding to community needs, connecting and
   64  supporting people, and building relationships and a sense of
   65  belonging.
   66         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida Senate commends the
   67  hundreds of thousands of staff and volunteers who create
   68  connected communities and advance the YMCA’s mission to build
   69  healthy spirits, minds, and bodies for all.
   70         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida Senate encourages
   71  continued support for the YMCA’s efforts to address social
   72  isolation and loneliness by creating places and spaces where
   73  people can connect, build relationships, and thrive.
   74         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with
   75  the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to the Florida
   76  State Alliance of YMCAs as a tangible token of the sentiments of
   77  the Florida Senate.