A $226,650 goal is set for Sarnia-Lambton's 2017 Strong Kids Campaign.
A kickoff ceremony was held Tuesday morning at the Jerry McCaw Family Centre on Finch Dr.
YMCA President and CEO Jim Janzen says the campaign is already off to a good start, thanks to a $25,000 donation from Kel-Gor.
"It's a fantastic donation," says Janzen. "As the lead donor in the campaign, Kel-Gor's been in that role for a couple of years now, but I can't say enough about the company in support of the work of the YMCA."
Nearly $215,000 was raised in last years local campaign, with funds helping 975 people with membership assistance.
Donations also sent children to summer camp, teens to leadership camp, assisted families with child care costs and helped provide struggling teens and adults with the help needed to gain full employment.
"Our campaign continues the entire year and usually wraps up by the end of the year in December. We usually achieve or get very close to our goal by about the fourth quarter of the year, so in October. Most donations are small and fit into a person's ability to give. We also launched our "Give Me 5" campaign, which starts with a $5 gift. We encourage folks to participate and we encourage folks to give to the program, in a way that's comfortable for them, but in a way that supports our end goal."
Donations can be made online at www.ystrongkids.ca.