McGaw YMCA will celebrate its 125th birthday in a way its Northwestern neighbors know well-a theme party.

Later this month, the YMCA, 1000 Grove St., will host a “Back (And) to the Future” party. Guests will wear costumes from any of the eras between the YMCA’s 1885 founding and today.

A documentary about the YMCA featuring archival photographs and interviews with members from the 1930s and 40s will also premiere Jan. 23.

YMCA employees said NU has been a major partner throughout its history. Most recently, NU hosted the YMCA’s first youth triathlon last July, an event they said they hope to repeat.

Many NU students are involved in Project SOAR (Serving Our Adolescents Responsibly), a program that serves roughly 70 local students between the ages of nine and 14. About two-thirds of the mentors are NU students who volunteer or participate for work study.

“That’s been an amazing relationship that has worked for both sides,” said Matthew Johnson, vice president of marketing and development at the YMCA. “Some Northwestern students who are now alumni have come back. We’ve been extremely grateful to these students.”

Some NU students dedicated to volunteering outside the YMCA still find themselves linked to the organization.

Kimberly Nelson, publicity chair and swim coach for Northwestern University to Benefit Special Olympics, said none of the athletes or coaches from NU’s group hold membership at the YMCA, but they have been able to practice in their facilities regularly.

“They’re very accommodating to Special Olympics, which is one of the reasons we use the Y instead of SPAC-they have a chair lift for people who can’t use a ladder,” the Communication sophomore said.

Other NU students said they use the YMCA’s recreational facilities.

Eric English, a Weinberg junior, said it was “easy to sign up” and start a soccer team at the YMCA last January, even without a membership, so he and his friends could play indoors. Despite losing in last year’s playoffs, English said he is planning on playing in the league again this year.

Since its inception, one of the greatest changes to the YMCA has been in its membership demographics, Johnson said. He said the YMCA’s members and staff reflect the diversity of the Evanston community, which contributes to keeping residents involved in the organization, members said.

“Our family is very diverse in that our kids were adopted transracially, so it’s great to go there and see different faces,” said Martha King, an Evanston resident who has three children on swim teams at the YMCA.

The YMCA also recently adopted a “Membership for All” program, which arranges membership rates based on income level if participants are unable to pay regular fees, YMCA representatives said.

Hard work in fundraising has allowed the YMCA to continue offering opportunities for community involvement, even in difficult economic times, said Jan Hazlett, a YMCA board member and co-chair of the 125th anniversary.

“No program is in jeopardy of being cut … and part of that is that we have such a strong support base,” Hazlett said.[email protected]