KYS-YMCA at Lakeshore Park 2007
Fundraising Campaign
Two organizations becoming partners to build the character of children through youth sports and help build a healthier community, one person at a time.
New Partnership. Knox Youth Sports and the YMCA of East Tennessee are partners in an effort to build a state of the art youth sports, and wellness facility. The YMCA at Lakeshore Park is a remarkable partnership that brings together two great organizations. The YMCA which has operated in East Tennessee for 152 years, and KYS which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006. Together, our two organizations will bring needed benefits and value to families in our community at Lakeshore Park.
New Basketball Courts for KYS Youth. This building will house two full-size basketball courts to accommodate the KYS basketball program, Challenger Basketball and our inner city program with SOAR. These courts will serve our KYS families much in the same way the 6 baseball fields at the park have been home to our baseball/softball programs. Currently, we play our weekend basketball games in 6 different gyms all across west Knoxville. Being able to play these games in new facilities in one location will be far more convenient for KYS families. In effect, we’ll have a “home court” for the first time. Additionally, we will have a place to conduct indoor pre-season individual baseball lessons in hitting, pitching, and catching, plus team defense lessons.
New KYS Offices. The YMCA will also be the new permanent home for the KYS offices, which are currently in the Cedar Cottage at Lakeshore Park. The location will allow the staff to better serve the families in all our youth sports programs by providing a convenient, easy-to-find location to register for sports programs, to pick up equipment, and conduct team drafts. A separate entrance, a reception area, five offices, a conference room, plus storage space will all be included.
New YMCA. The YMCA itself will be spectacular! As outlined in the brochure, it will feature everything you would expect in a new wellness facility. This is a great step for the YMCA to accomplish their goal of building a healthier community one person at a time.
New Opportunities for KYS Families. Imagine, when the YMCA is complete, a KYS family with several children will be able to drive to Lakeshore Park for a Saturday game. While there everyone In the family can walk the indoor track, swim, or work out at the YMCA. All at the very same location!
New Sports & Fitness and Wellness Opportunities for New Families. Both KYS and the YMCA of East Tennessee expect that many YMCA members whose children currently don’t participate in youth sports and many KYS families who currently don’t belong to the YMCA will, in the future, participate it both organizations. Approximately 2,500 KYS children age 3-18 participate in baseball, softball, basketball, flag football, and, soon, lacrosse. It’s our fond hope that through this partnership, KYS will be able to serve literally thousands more children throughout the year in existing and new youth sports programs.
For more information on KYS
Contact: Bert Bertelkamp 588-7691
or Wayne Christensen 300-1396
Knox Youth Sports
P.O. Box 10964
Knoxville, Tennessee 37939
865/584-6403
865/584-2385 fax