Changemakers Event
Save the date to join us in celebrating volunteerism and honoring extraordinary community leaders at the YMCA of Greater Seattle's annual Celebrating Community Changemakers event.
Save the date to join us in celebrating volunteerism and honoring extraordinary community leaders at the YMCA of Greater Seattle's annual Celebrating Community Changemakers event.
Problem-solvers, innovators, collaborators, activists, volunteers... what do they all have in common? They embody positive impact and change. They are rooted in communities and
push forward to ensure that we all not only survive but thrive.
This year, the YMCA brings you Celebrating Community Changemakers (formerly known as the A.K. Guy Awards Event), where we gather to recognize the people who convene the conversations and champion the change needed to create communities we all want to live in.
The Changemakers celebration was an event to remember. Thanks to a shared commitment to overcoming adversity and fostering opportunities to grow, we raised more than half a million dollars (and counting!) in support of communities in which we can all be proud to live.
If you are interested in seeing or sharing some highlights from Maggie Walker, Megan Rapinoe, or keynote speaker Tod Leiweke, you can read the recap or watch the video below.
If you are inspired by these changemakers, there are many ways to get engaged as a community changemaker at the Y. We invite you to:
Awards in three categories will be given in recognition of exceptional volunteerism and activism. Each award speaks to lasting impact, addressing urgent issues, and enriching our neighbors’ lives today and tomorrow.
The A.K. Guy Award is presented to individuals, couples, families, or groups who exemplify the ideals of the late Albert K. Guy through their outstanding volunteer service and dedication to social responsibility and equity and justice for all.
The Judge Charles V. and Lazelle Johnson Excellence in Social Justice Award is presented to an individual, couples, families, or groups who exemplify the ideals of Seattle civil-rights pioneers Charles V. and Lazelle Johnson through their advancement of equity and social justice in one or more of the following areas: community development, children and youth, education, health, environment, legal, economic development, and/or government.
The Heros Everyday Awards celebrates and applauds the work of a youth, young adult, and an adult who exemplify service, demonstrate the Y values, and make contributions to their community towards social and economic equality. Award Age Categories = Youth (6-17); Young Adult (18-26), and Adults (27+).
Effective volunteers take ownership and make remarkable things happen. The very best are capable of reshaping the ways we see and engage in the world around us.
A.K. Guy Award Honoree Maggie Walker has devoted 50 years to making this region as accessible, livable, and sustainable as it can be. From protecting the environment and enhancing education to redefining our cityscape culturally, economically, and physically in chairing Friends of the Waterfront, Maggie continues to leave her indelible and unmistakable marks wherever our region needs her most.
Judge Charles V. and Lazelle Johnson Excellence in Social Justice Award Honoree Megan Rapinoe is a world champion athlete and world-changing advocate for human rights. Beyond her World Cups and Olympic Gold, Megan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor, for her tireless, impassioned advocacy for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQIAA+ rights.
Keynote Speaker Tod Leiweke is President and CEO of the National Hockey League’s startup Seattle Kraken. Like our awardees, Tod’s career has produced wins at every level, but also community pride, belonging, and opportunity everywhere he has gone. Tod served on our Board of Directors and shares our passion for realizing potential in everyone and our commitment to healthy spirits, minds, and bodies.
The Y has been listening and responding to our region’s most critical social needs for more than 147 years. In 1983, the Y established the A.K. Guy Award in memory of Albert K. Guy. The award honors those who strive to better serve their community through dedicated volunteer service. Learn More >>
When you support the Y, you're helping create communities we all want to live in. Investing in families and young people, particularly those who are farthest from opportunity, is key to advancing equity and justice and building whole person health for all.
As a community-based organization, the Y has a long history of helping support young people in living their healthiest lives and reaching their full potential in spirit, mind, and body.
VISIONARY PARTNERS:
COLLECTIVE IMPACT PARTNER:
COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS PARTNER:
OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS:
Volunteering can be fun and fulfilling. Benefits include: improving mood, decreasing stress, exploring passions, and gaining new skills. Whatever your reasons for volunteering, it’s good for your mind and your body, and strengthens our communities.
There are many ways to make a difference through the Y: Make a pledge, donate stock, volunteer, or learn about planned giving and matching gifts!
Many hands help community at the Y, from staff who counsel youth experiencing homelessness, and volunteers who help give out meals, to donors who empower the Y to reach more people in need. Learn more about your impact as a Y supporter.