Thursday, February 20, 2025
Hello Friends,
Black History Month and American Heart Month make February exponentially important. Did you know that Black History Month had its beginnings at the YMCA? In 1915, Carter G. Woodson, a University of Chicago alumnus, arrived in Chicago to attend a national celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois. “Inspired by this three-week celebration where thousands of African Americans had traveled from across the country to see exhibits that highlighted the progress of their people since the end of slavery, Woodson met at the Wabash Avenue YMCA in Chicago with a small group and formed the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). This began the foundation that would create Negro History and Literature Week, renamed Negro Achievement Week, later Negro History Week and eventually Black History Month.”
On to American Heart Month: According to the American Heart Association cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in America with more than half of Americans living with high blood pressure and they don’t even know it. Another startling stat: More than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital annually. This is why the importance of a healthy lifestyle can never be underestimated. Please incorporate exercise into your daily routine, creating quality family time too. Find time to update recipes with healthy ingredients, reducing the amount of salt and saturated fat as well as substituting a lower-fat food without sacrificing taste. Getting enough sleep is essential to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, which in turn lowers stress – a root cause of many heart issues.
Switching topics, I want to highlight our Youth in Government (YIG) initiative. This fantastic program gives middle and high schoolers the chance to develop self-confidence and leadership skills while learning how our government operates. Preparing Youth for Success is one of our strategic priorities at the Tampa YMCA, which is why we are always looking to implement programming to position youth for success.
Tampa YMCA teens are in Tallahassee for the 68th State Assembly from February 19-21. This is an important component of YIG. An immersive and memorable trip, the State Assembly allows our youth to have a model government experience and follow in the footsteps of policymakers and legislators. At the State Capitol, they collaborate for positive change by debating ideas and learning the value of constructive civil discourse. Furthermore, the experience gets them up close and personal with how the democratic process works. We admire our youth for choosing to invest their time in learning what it means to become productive members of our society… and our staff, who help them achieve their goals.
With appreciation,
Matt Mitchell
President & CEO
813.224.9622