By Naeisha Rose
Eight individuals and one organization will be honorees Thursday at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning for the Jamaica YMCA’s 90th anniversary celebration.
The branch is located at 89-25 Parsons Blvd. in Jamaica.
The fund-raising gala will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 153-10 Jamaica Ave. It will feature sketches, a dance presentation by Ladies in Formation, and music by Note Band.
Elected officials will be guest speakers at the event.
State Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) and Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) will be guest speakers. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to drop by.
“We have some of the local dignitaries that are coming through, and we are going to be engaging and going over the history,” Jamaica YMCA Membership Director Tony Poprilo said.
Presenting the history of the Jamaica YMCA at the cocktail reception will be Jamaica YMCA Executive Director Cedric Dew.
Jamaica YMCA’s Fund Development Specialist Gloria Messam is helping to organize the event.
“There will be nine [individuals]representing the 90th for each decade,” Messam said. “The very past, the past and the immediate future with the very young” will be represented among the honorees.
The honorees include people and an organization that have served the YMCA; current and former chairs or board members, some of whom were teen board members.
The honorees are Prince Felix, Charles B. Henry Sr., Kenneth Levy (in memoriam), Charlie Lloyd, Lois Menyweather, Chris Miller, Alvin Stevens and Brianna Young, along with the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica.
“This Jamaica Y was established there before we moved to our present location,” Messam said.
Tony Poprilo was happy to be a part of such a milestone.
“The Jamaica YMCA is the living embodiment of what we call family,” Propilo said. “The YMCA caters to the young, the adults, to senior citizens, and this is going to be a culmination pf the 90 years of service that we have been providing to the Jamaica community.”
Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose
