Momentous: Final Phase of the "Heart of the Community" Capital Campaign Launched

The Door County YMCA is excited to announce the final phase of its Heart of the Community Capital Campaign. This campaign, which started in the fall of 2019 was paused by spring of 2020, due to the pandemic. The campaign has been in a quiet phase since its re-launch in June 2021. Thanks to the generosity of early donors, the campaign has raised $8.9 million dollars to date.

“As we head into the final fundraising phase of this project, we are excited to share that we have received a $500,000 matching gift,” said Heidi Erickson, Door County YMCA CEO, “meaning we need to raise another $500,000 in our community to complete this $9.9 million dollar project.” 

Since opening its doors in 1986, the Door County YMCA has listened to the community, offering the programs, and services individuals and families in the area need. The current Sturgeon Bay Program Center was established in 1997, followed by the addition of the Carla and Ellsworth Peterson Aquatics Center in 2001. Since that time there haven’t been any significant capital improvements outside of general maintenance. 

Today, we are nearing our historic all-time high membership numbers and current participation levels are stretching program spaces, limiting the organization’s ability to provide the innovative programs our community needs. A renovation and expansion of the Sturgeon Bay facility will allow the YMCA to:

• provide a welcoming, supportive environment where all community members can come together, 
• increase accessibility for older adults and those with mobility challenges,
• create more gathering spaces for education, meetings, and community connections,
• deepen partnerships with other organizations, and
• ensure that the organization is meeting the community’s needs now and for future generations

“This is an exciting time for the Door County Y,” said Tom Beerntsen, Capital Campaign Co-Chair, “but there’s still work to be done and we need the help of our community.” The Sturgeon Bay Program center serves as the community hub, bringing neighbors together from all walks of life for more than 30 years. It is at the Y where friendships flourish, children are nurtured, and people grow stronger in spirit, mind, and body. 

The Door County YMCA has contracted with The Boldt Company and will break ground in September 2022. To learn more about the Heart of the Community Capital Campaign and support it, contact Heidi Erickson, CEO or Tonya Felhofer, Mission Advancement Executive at 920.743.4949

The Door County YMCA: For Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. Driven by its founding mission, the Door County YMCA has 170 full and part-time staff serving over 8,800 members in Door County from facilities in Fish Creek and Sturgeon Bay in a broad range of programming for all ages. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships, and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide.