Woody Fitton
President & CEO
Great Miami Valley YMCA

Dear Members and Friends of the YMCA:

By now you may have heard that for the first time in 43 years the YMCA has launched a new national branding strategy in which, among other things our traditional trademark has been changed. This has been done to increase the understanding of the impact YMCAs make in communities across the country. This branding strategy will also provide a framework that focuses our resources on three core areas: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA will extend its reach into communities
to nurture the potential of youth and teens, improve the nation's health and well-being and provide opportunities to support neighbors. Another key part of this new strategy is to now refer to our organization as the "Y". By identifying ourselves in this manner, we will align with how most people commonly refer to our organization. While we will continue to officially be known as the Great Miami Valley YMCA, this change in our trademark will enable Y's across the country to leverage our marketing efforts and more effectively communicate our cause and impact as an organization.

While our trademark may be changing, our timeless mission of putting Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all will not change. Neither will our core values of faith, caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Our mission and core values are the foundation of all that we do at the Y and that will continue into the future. The goal for this new branding strategy is to expand our impact and increase community awareness by telling our story more consistently and inspirationally. The YMCA has been an indispensible community asset throughout this great country for more that a century and a half and we have adapted time and again to meet the changing needs of our dynamic society. We are now once again positioning ourselves to respond to the unique opportunities before us.

Thank you for being a part of this great YMCA movement and joining us in this important cause.

Woody Fitton
President & CEO
Great Miami Valley YMCA