In the lobby of the McGaw YMCA, staff members greeted guests with free merchandise, decorative balloons, cake and other refreshments Monday evening. As 5 p.m. rolled around, the YMCA and Evanston communities gathered, ready to celebrate the McGaw YMCA’s 140th birthday.
Mayor Daniel Biss proclaimed Nov. 17 “YMCA Day” at the Oct. 27 City Council meeting, marking the 140th anniversary of the organization. As community members stopped by the McGaw YMCA throughout the day, they were encouraged to leave a message on a giant birthday card and attend the night’s most anticipated event: its “Cake with the CEO & Author” talk.
McGaw President and CEO Monique Parsons welcomed several guests to the event by name. At the beginning of the evening, she highlighted the unique qualities of the organization and explained why it is so important to celebrate its anniversary.
“All year long, our plan is to just remind people of who we are, what we mean to the community, and what the community means to us,” Parsons said. “Today is just the kickoff. Today it’s just cake, but it’s really time to reflect on how long we’ve been in our community.”
The guest of honor was Morris “Dino” Robinson, a retired executive director of the Shorefront Legacy Center and historian who published the book “Gatherings: The History and Activities of the Emerson Street Branch YMCA” in 2004.
As he discussed at the event, the book illuminates the history of the Emerson Street YMCA, which was founded in 1914 for Black Evanston residents.
“This story is important because the YMCA never wanted to be segregated,” Robinson said. “Doing this history book on the development of the Emerson Street branch was one part of the project, but the other part was the activities of bringing people together. That’s why I named this book ‘Gatherings,’ because this place gathers community.”
Robinson walked the audience through his research process, and conversation about attendees’ individual experiences with the YMCA flowed throughout the room.
During the Q&A part of the event, some guests said their families have been involved with the nonprofit for generations, and recalled how the programs have changed over the years. Others said they learned much of the YMCA’s history from the event alone.
The YMCA’s next event to celebrate its 140th anniversary will be a fundraising gala in its gymnasium, with a theme that nods to the nostalgia of longtime McGaw YMCA members. Parsons said the event is modeled after the “Y Parties” of the ’70s and ’80s, which were social gatherings for middle and high schoolers.
The theme is special because many current members and residents recall attending those parties themselves.
Joseph Jackson, a current resident at the McGaw YMCA, said he came to the event because of his love for history, and also encouraged his neighbors to attend.
“I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, near the very end of the Red Line,” Jackson said. “I would come here and party on the weekends, over the years. It’s a special place.”
The gala, set to be held Jan. 24, will serve as a major fundraiser for projects the nonprofit is currently focused on, including renovations to the McGaw YMCA Men’s Residence, a part of the facility that has residential rooms to house 150 men.
Besides discussion and fundraising, this “night in the town” will consist of a DJ, photobooths and a yearbook viewing station.
Parsons emphasized that community members, especially newer ones and university students, might not know the history of one of the city’s oldest organizations. Despite its history, the diversity of Evanston is reflected in the members of the McGaw YMCA.
“I think that is so special,” Parsons said. “No matter where you live in Evanston, you will come here and experience the totalness of what Evanston means and reflects and represents, and that’s the thing I love most.”
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