Greg and Kathy Spier of Foxborough are issuing a $25,000 challenge grant to support the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Food Access program, a part of the Y’s annual Reach Out Campaign. The Spiers and the Spier Family Foundation will match every donation made Sept. 14 – 21 up to $25,000.
The Hockomock Y’s Reach Out program provides confidential YMCA scholarships and program subsidies to people in need to experience the YMCA. These offerings include child care, camp, the food access program, and programs like swim, sports and gymnastics as well as adult chronic disease programs.
In 2023, $3.3 million was invested by the Hockomock Area YMCA to ensure that everyone has the chance to thrive by providing scholarships to people in need in the Y’s 15 town service area to experience YMCA programs and services regardless of ability to pay.
“We are grateful to be part of communities full of caring people committed to improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Jim Downs, CEO of the Hockomock Area YMCA. “I am so proud of the work our Y continues to do in partnership with others to raise critical funding for our annual Reach Out Campaign. Funds raised allow our Y to be here when people need us most. We are only able to do this through the philanthropic support of a caring community.”
The Spier family’s impact in our local communities runs deep. Their legacy at the Hockomock YMCA includes the naming of the indoor and outdoor aquatics centers as well as the new splash park at the Y’s Invensys Foxboro Branch, along with Greg and Kathy’s parents, Sonja and the late Alex Spier.
“One of my mentors is the late Don Rodman,” said Greg. “Don taught me the importance of being philanthropic. He always said how important it was to be philanthropic in the areas where we work and the areas where we live. What better place to be philanthropic in the area than at the Hockomock Area YMCA. The Y benefits thousands of children and families and we’re so proud to be a part of it.”
“The Y is a fellowship that brings people together and provides joy to so many people,” said Kathy. “As our father Alex always said, we want to leave the world a better place and that’s what we are going to do. Please make a gift to the Hockomock Y between September 14 and 21 and we will proudly match it as part of this giving challenge.”
Every gift matters. To learn more about this challenge and ways to make a gift, visit www.hockymca.org/spier-challenge
To learn about other ways to support this initiative, please contact Katie Moore at katiem@hockymca.org.
