A.K. Guy Award
Celebrating volunteerism and recognizing Connie Ballmer and Ballmer Group for their outstanding dedication to supporting children and families by removing barriers and creating opportunities.
Celebrating volunteerism and recognizing Connie Ballmer and Ballmer Group for their outstanding dedication to supporting children and families by removing barriers and creating opportunities.
The 2021 A.K. Guy Award was one for the ages, and it wouldn’t have been the same without you. Thank you for joining us to celebrate the YMCA of Greater Seattle’s 33rd A.K. Guy Award Event. We could not have done this without the help of our volunteers, interviewees, Y staff, our incredible partners, and the community of Y supporters. We hope you were inspired by Ballmer Group’s work and our work at the Y to learn more, engage, activate as a volunteer, and support to pave a better future for all. If you missed part of the evening or want to relive the most memorable moments, we’ve made the entire evening available here.
Take the next step with us now and commit to engaging all year long by living the spirit of A.K. Guy: to create a more just, fair, and healthy community every day. Here are a few ways to activate now:
You can help further the efforts of Connie Ballmer and Ballmer Group! Invite your friends, host a virtual table as an event ambassador, or sponsor the event.
Share the A.K. Guy Award event on your social network to spread the word and advocate for the life-changing work of Connie Ballmer, Ballmer Group, and the Y.
There are many ways to get involved from volunteering to becoming an Event Ambassador. Our staff are at the ready to help you find a volunteer opportunity or successfully host the event as an Event Ambassador.
Partner with the Y and Ballmer Group to support children by sponsoring the event. The tools needed for your business to champion the cause can be found in our sponsorship packet.
There are many ways you can help make an impact for kids in foster care, improve Washington’s behavioral health system, and aid in removing systemic barriers to economic opportunity. Start by learning more about the issues below and then join us by volunteering your time, efforts or resources to enable solutions.
There is a critical need in Washington for more foster homes, especially for BIPOC Foster homes and homes that care for teens and kids with higher needs.
Ballmer Group works to build collaborative solution in partnership with the community to help improve a system that provides children in foster care a safe and stable place to live and develop. Ballmer Group gives of their time and resource to support local agencies who are responsible for developing a pipeline of quality foster homes and services for foster youth. Learn More >
The YMCA of Greater Seattle has been licensing and supporting foster parents for nearly 35 years. We provide a continuum of care for parents and kids in foster care, as well as supporting young people as they age out of the foster care system. Learn More >
There is a crucial need for qualified mental health professionals from diverse communities across Washington. Improved capacity to meet the growing need for these services and opportunities for upstream, preventative treatment will create better outcomes for our community.
Ballmer Group is committed to improve our mental health system by adding significant resources to build Washington’s pipeline of mental health professionals – clinicians, therapists, nurses, peers, and more – to close the gap in services. Learn More >
For over 48 years, the Y has specialized in serving youth and young adults who have experienced trauma such as homelessness, foster care, exploitation, systemic poverty, and racism, and in 2020, we expanded our behavioral health outreach to all ages. Learn More >
We wholly believe that no child should be born with pre-determined, limited opportunity due to systemic barriers long rooted in America.
Much of the work Ballmer Group supports addresses barriers rooted in racial inequity and that cause disparate outcomes for Black and Brown communities. Further data also helped Ballmer Group to recognize the need of, and prioritize support for, Black men and boys, while still addressing the full spectrum of need. Learn More >
At the Y, our programs for youth and young adults offer wraparound services including employment training, educational support, shelter, counseling, and more with an over-arching goal of building stability, independence, and economic mobility. Learn More >
Thank you to the following organizations for supporting children by sponsoring our event.
Established in 1983, the A.K. Guy Award has since been 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.
A lifelong Seattleite, A.K. Guy (1892–1983) graduated from the former Broadway High School in 1910. He served as President of G.O. Guy Drugs, was a 45-year member of the Seattle Rotary Club, a member of Queen Anne United Methodist Church, and a fellow of Seattle Pacific University. Guy held the Y close to his heart as a member of the YMCA Board of Directors and an enthusiastic volunteer and supporter of YMCA Camp Orkila.
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.