Alan MacKinnon knows about how to treat the dead – and how the living need to treat themselves well, while alive.
MacKinnon, the owner of The Gardens at Gethsemane cemetery, donated $50,000 to support the renovation project at the West Roxbury YMCA.
MacKinnon’s gift was a part of campaign to raise $1.5 million toward renovating the 60-year-old YMCA at 15 Bellevue St.
“We are maxed out of space in West Roxbury,” said YMCA of Greater Boston CEO Kevin Washington. “Our facilities are not up-to-date with the needs of our 60,000 nearby households. We must prepare the Y for its next generation of vital services to our community.”
MacKinnon, a West Roxbury YMCA board member for 13 years, said the renovation, which will include a landscaped pavilion on Centre Street for public events, will be a new way to bring the community together.
“The Y is the lifeblood of this community,” said MacKinnon via press release. “The Y’s programs for children are giving them structure, education and a safe place to be. The programs for seniors provide independence, socialization and wellness. It makes the community whole. I am proud that I can make this investment in our community.”
The West Roxbury YMCA is a part of the Greater Boston YMCA, and is the neighborhood’s largest community center and day care provider. There are more than 6,500 active members of the local West Roxbury branch.
The new capital campaign will renovate and modernize the facility, including a state of the art health and wellness center and gymnasium, a new aquatics center with two pools, expanded childcare areas, increased parking and full handicap accessibility. The Y will increase programs for children, teens, adults and seniors once the renovations are completed.
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