Matt Rowe. Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Family YMCA announces Matt Rowe as their 2017 Annual Campaign chair. Rowe, who is also a Santa Barbara Family YMCA board member, will work to ensure the fundraising target of $195,000 is met.
Every dollar raised in the annual campaign is applied to placing kids and families in need in YMCA programs, such as swimming classes, health and wellness programs, day camps, sleep-away camps and after-school care.
This year marks the seventh annual campaign that Rowe has participated in, and the fourth of which he has been campaign chair.
“There is a huge amount of effort that goes into making our $195,000 goal a reality,” Rowe said. “The money raised allows the Santa Barbara Family YMCA to make good on our promise to be an inclusive and responsible force for positive change in our community.”
Rowe is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley’s Santa Barbara office.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, he joined the YMCA in 2006, when he and his family lived in Darien, Conn. They transferred the family membership to Santa Barbara upon relocating.
Assisting Rowe in overseeing the annual campaign are co-chairs Beth Schmid, fellow YMCA board member, and her husband, Tom. The two have played an integral role in past campaigns, according to Rowe, and he feels very confident that with their support, and the support of management, staff and volunteer campaigners, the annual campaign will be a successful one.
“There are many people working really hard to help us achieve this target, it is a huge team effort and I am delighted to be leading the campaign for the YMCA,” said Rowe. “I know what a difference every dollar raised makes to so many lives. It is something that I can see that whenever I walk into the facility.”
The Santa Barbara Family YMCA Annual Campaign Kick Off is Feb. 3. To learn more the Santa Barbara Family YMCA’s annual campaign, call (805) 687-7727.
About the Channel Islands YMCA: Established in 1887, the Channel Islands YMCA is a charitable organization of seven YMCA branches serving Santa Barbara and Ventura counties including: Camarillo Family YMCA, Lompoc Family YMCA, Montecito Family YMCA, Santa Barbara Family YMCA, Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA in Santa Ynez, Ventura Family YMCA, and Youth and Family Services YMCA which operates Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Shelter, the St. George Family Youth Center and My Home.
The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The Channel Islands YMCA serves over 46,000 individuals and provides over $1.3 million in financial assistance to families in need for child care, YMCA memberships, away and day camps, youth sports, and teen after-school programs. For more information about the Santa Barbara Family YMCA, visit http://www.ciymca.org/Santa Barbara or call (805) 687-7727.