PEABODY — YMCA of Metro North is hosting the “Where in the World Celebration 2022” on Thursday, Sept. 22 from 6-9 p.m. at the Demakes Family YMCA in Lynn.
The event will feature food, fun, entertainment, unique auction items and a chance to win the “Where in the World Would You Picnic in the Park?” grand raffle prize – a round-trip for two to any place in the world for a once-in-a-lifetime dining (or picnic) experience.
Metro North President and CEO Kathleen Walsh said the Y hopes to raise $250,000. One hundred percent of proceeds will go to Metro North’s scholarship program, which provides young people with financial assistance enabling them to access YMCA health, wellness and educational programs.
“This year’s event has a new twist with [the] “Where in the World Would You Want to Picnic in the Park?” theme. Coming off summer camp it’s a fitting theme,” Walsh said. “We hope to bring together 300 people to share Y stories from the past year, showcase our youth development efforts with entertainment from our youth center, and raise lots of money so we can expand our reach into the community.”
KISS 108’s Billy Costa will serve as special guest emcee. Walsh said Costa knows firsthand about the programs Metro North offers young people and how the YMCA, through events like the “Where in the World Celebration,” makes a difference in people’s lives.
“We engaged Billy for a couple of reasons, first he is a local celebrity with ties to our service area, having raised his family in Lynnfield, and, of course, because he was a Cambridge Y kid who knows how critical our work is,” Walsh said.
The deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, Sept. 21. Tickets are $100 per person, $200 for two people, and $1,000 for a table for 10. Tickets include a cocktail party, picnic-inspired fare, and a chance to bid on many packages at Metro North’s annual auction. Packages include exclusive tours and trips, celebrity chef dinners, luxury gift baskets, and more.
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to https://ymcaofmetronorth.ejoinme.org/tickets.
The raffle’s grand prize is worth up to $10,000 and includes two coach airplane tickets, one night in a hotel for two, and dinner for two. The prize cannot be transferred for cash and the winner is responsible for all prize taxes. YMCA of Metro North staff and their immediate families are not eligible to enter the raffle.
Raffle tickets start at $10 for two chances and go up to $500 for 200 chances. For more information about the raffle or to purchase tickets, go to https://ymcaofmetronorth.ejoinme.org/raffle. As a convenience, participants may pre-register a credit card on the submission page to charge purchases at the Where in the World Celebration 2022.
“Your support during this event allows the YMCA of Metro North to change people’s lives for the better,” Walsh said. “Join us and help lift up our communities.”
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
