April – 2011
ANDOVER – The Merrimack Valley YMCA announced last month that Watts Water Technologies, a leading manufacturer of flow control products for the water quality, residential plumbing & heating, commercial and OEM markets, has pledged $750,000. The generous donation will be spread over a five-year period to support annual operations, as well as the Andover / North Andover YMCA’s building expansion.
Stephen Ives, Merrimack Valley YMCA CEO, publicly thanked Watts Water Technologies’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Bill McCartney, at the non-profit’s annual Auction on Saturday, March 26. Watts Water, headquartered in North Andover, has been a corporate sponsor of the Andover / North Andover YMCA for five years now, increasing its donation significantly year-over-year from its first contribution of $5,000.
“The Andover / North Andover YMCA has served the community tremendously for the past 40 years, but it’s time to prepare it for the next 40,” said McCartney, also a local Andover resident. “We’re very honored to make this investment into the community and for such a great cause.”
“During the past seven years, we’ve made large investments in the Lawrence and Methuen branches of the Merrimack Valley YMCA, as well as our camps,” said Ives.
“It’s now time to make an investment in the Andover / North Andover branch so that we can better accommodate the increasing capacity and community needs there. We’re very excited for what’s in store for the community with our expansion plans.”
Through the expansion, the Andover / North Andover YMCA will increase its ability to promote community health and wellness, not only by extending its physical walls, but also its community partnerships. The vision includes enhanced opportunities for physical activity and nutritional education through new services and facilities such as a sports physiology lab, senior center, competitive 50-meter swimming pool, youth center, family aquatic pool, and various community wellness services, to name a few.
The expansion project is still in its beginning stages, but the selection process is underway for a lead architect, civil engineering firm, schematic designer, and more. The Andover / North Andover YMCA is also pursuing additional corporate partnerships, whether it’s in the form of a community relationship or monetary donation. Construction is expected to begin in 12-18 months.
For more information, visit the expansion page on the Merrimack Valley YMCA website.