2026 SESSION

ENROLLED

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 53

Commending the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 2026

WHEREAS, for 160 years, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads has played a vital role in strengthening the community by supporting youth development, promoting healthy living, and fostering social responsibility; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads offers programs for children, families, and seniors, such as summer camps, fitness and recreation programs, and swimming lessons, that encourage wellness, develop character, and expand access to opportunity; and

WHEREAS, with 21 locations throughout the Hampton Roads region, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads serves more than 255,000 unique visitors each year; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads provides nearly $6 million in financial assistance to members to ensure that the organization's facilities and programs are inclusive and available to people from all backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads helps working families by providing quality child care to more than 10,000 children annually, along with generous financial assistance to make child care available to all families in need; and

WHEREAS, 2026 also marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the first branch of the YMCA in the United States in Boston in 1851; since that time, the organization has grown into one of the country's most enduring and influential organizations, with a network of more than 2,600 local YMCAs across the country; and

WHEREAS, through its enduring commitment to promoting the health and well-being of the community, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads has helped to make Hampton Roads a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the YMCA of South Hampton Roads hereby be commended for its longstanding service on the occasion of its 160th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the YMCA of South Hampton Roads as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for the organization's contributions to Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth.