HCR6012 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing the YMCA for 175 years of service to youth, families, and communities in South Dakota and across the United States. (Enrolled)

26.955.10 101st Legislative Session HCR6012

2026 South Dakota Legislature

ENROLLED

An Act

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION recognizing the YMCA for 175 years of service to youth, families, and communities in South Dakota and across the United States.

WHEREAS, the Young Men's Christian Association, now widely known as the YMCA, marks its 175^th anniversary in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA started in England and was brought to the United States in 1851, by Thomas Valentine Sullivan, to put Christian principles into practice and to help people from all walks of life build healthy spirits, minds, and bodies; and

WHEREAS, as a charitable non-profit, the YMCA has fostered relationships, created a sense of belonging, and strengthened society by bringing people together through their continual adaptation to the evolving needs of communities; and

WHEREAS, the legacy of the YMCA includes providing safe housing during the Gilded Age; pioneering the first night school and English-as-a-second-language classes; inventing basketball; leading humanitarian efforts during wartime, including the work of John R. Mott, who received the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize; establishing the Youth & Government Program in 1936, as a premier civic engagement initiative that continues today; and becoming the United States' leading non-profit provider of childcare and afterschool programs; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA has committed itself to advancing affordable, accessible programs for all families by offering affordable childcare, youth development programs, and health services to families of all backgrounds and income levels; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA serves in every state and territory across the United States, reaching more than 10,000 communities, and is supported by over 300,000 staff members and 350,000 volunteers who deliver essential programs to more than 17 million individuals annually, including nearly 11 million adults and 6.5 million youth; and

WHEREAS, the Alliance of South Dakota YMCAs maintains charters in Sioux Falls, Dupree, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Pierre, Custer, Box Elder, and Edgemont, and serves nearly the entire state, including rural and tribal communities, through the efforts of 1,274 staff members and over 1,000 volunteers, delivering programs and services that strengthen youth, adults, seniors, families, and communities; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA provides licensed daycare for 2,331 children, out-of-school activities for 32,752 children, and programs throughout the entire state for a total of 43,162 youth and adults;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the One Hundred First Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that the Legislature congratulates and expresses its appreciation to the YMCA for 175 years of service to the United States, and recognizes the YMCA's contributions to the well-being and development of South Dakota's communities.