PEABODY — The YMCA of Metro North launched the “Miles by Mile” fundraiser for the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, a venue that was destroyed in the wildfires that have been devastating the greater Los Angeles area.
Kathleen Walsh, president and CEO of YMCA Metro North, announced the fundraiser Monday and has already set a goal of $2,996, a monetary value inspired by the distance between the two coasts.
“YMCA is always an organization that wants to help people, and I was really racking my brain, trying to think of a way how we could make a meaningful impact to our colleagues at the YMCA of Metro Los Angeles,” said Walsh.
This effort follows shortly after the Y finished up another aid fundraiser for Asheville, North Carolina after the region faced an unprecedented disaster from Hurricane Helene in September.
So far, over 150,000 people have evacuated from the Los Angeles region as extreme winds have made conditions all over the populous metro area extremely hazardous. Like thousands of other structures, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA has been completely destroyed in the blaze.
“I think any one of us who, whether we rent an apartment or live in a home, recognize how quickly our lives could be turned upside down,” said Walsh. “We felt the same way with the hurricanes and, you know, the devastation down in Florida and North Carolina. I mean, it’s, you know, human nature, right?”
Walsh stressed the communal connection felt at the YMCA, where being a member of one location gives you access to thousands of clubs across the country. In fact, during the Asheville fundraiser, they received so much support that they were able to give extra supplies to local organizations.
A similar outpouring of support has been shown from members in the short time that the project has been online. Already, Walsh is considering pushing the goal even higher.
All donations received by the YMCA of Metro North will be sent directly to the Metro Los Angeles YMCA, who will in turn use those funds to buy supplies that will go to those displaced by the natural disaster.
“A direct contribution to an organization like the Y allows them to push the money where it’s needed while they wait for the support and larger charities,” Walsh said. “I mean, like, it just makes you realize that everything we have can be finite, and, you know, we’re going to rely on humanity to help us at the end of the day.”
