[Charlotte, NC – December 7, 2018] – The YMCA of Greater Charlotte is pleased to announce the Harris YMCA has received an $800,000 gift from the Cotty family, longtime supporters of the Harris YMCA. This transformational gift will support kids in the Charlotte community in the areas of literacy and wellness.  The Cotty family believes the Y is uniquely positioned to help change the trajectory of children who are not reading on grade level. For this reason, $400,000 of the family’s gift will support the YMCA’s literacy intervention program, Y Readers.

Y Readers provides out-of-school time support to rising first through third grade students to help them reach reading proficiency by the end of third grade. The Harris YMCA currently supports 128 Y Readers participants at Huntingtowne Farms Elementary School. Through the Cottys’ generous investment, the Y will add an additional school to its roster of Title I schools served by Y Readers – Starmount Academy of Excellence. This investment will also enable the Y to pilot a new literacybased summer camp called Super Readers to serve children who need extra support in literacy but don’t attend a Y Readers partner school.

In addition to literacy, the Cotty family’s investment will support health and wellness opportunities at the Harris YMCA. The Cottys and the Y believe that youth sports and play contribute to the healthy development of children and strong families. With the Cottys’ support, the Harris YMCA will create a new adventure area and playground on the branch’s campus and will make targeted improvements in the Harris Y’s ball fields, all of which will yield dividends for years to come for South Charlotte families. To honor the Cotty family’s generous spirit, the Harris YMCA will rename its athletic fields: Cotty Fields. “We are so incredibly grateful for the Cotty family and their investment in our community through the YMCA,” says Kelly Rogers, executive director of the Harris YMCA. “The Cottys embody the spirit of the Y through their generosity and their desire to serve our neighbors and our city.” 

About the YMCA of Greater Charlotte
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte, comprised of 19 membership locations and two resident camps, engages approximately 272,000 men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Deeply rooted in the community for over 140 years, the YMCA of Greater Charlotte has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. www.ymcacharlotte.org