Celebrating the Power of Camp: Annual Advocacy Day at the MetroWest YMCA

Hopkinton, MA (August 2025) - Our Y hosted our annual Advocacy Day at the Y’s Outdoor Center where local, regional, state and federal leaders joined us to celebrate the powerful impact of Y summer camp.

Members of our Y family—including State Representatives Jack Lewis, James Arena-DeRosa, Kate Donahue, alongside Tamisha Civil, Governor's Councilor District 2  and Wade Blackman of Congresswoman Clark’s office, Liam Horsman of Senator Markey’s office, Johnathan Creque of Senator Warren’s office, and Momina Haidri of State Senate President Spilka’s office; local community leaders and town officials; and members of our board—experienced all the fun and excitement of camp. Attendees were grouped into teams and competed against one another in the Banana Olympics, a well-loved camp family night theme where participants coached their banana athletes through grueling games of high jump, flamingo bowling, corn hole, and more. There were plenty of laughs, team spirit, and the perfect amount of friendly competition! 

Additionally, we had the opportunity to show off the Outdoor Center’s beautiful 122-acre property and highlight our Y’s impact through our incredible programs. Our Nutrition Team shared their work addressing food insecurity in the community, specifically raising awareness for our gardening and farm-to-school program as well as our new Nourishing Nook, a free-choice market at the Framingham Branch that provides food assistance for members and program participants.

Thank you to all who joined us on this special morning and for supporting our work to help our community thrive!