YMCA of San Francisco Celebrates 160th Anniversary by Launching "Your Story. Our History." Powered by Livefyre
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) July 11, 2013 -- The YMCA of San Francisco and Livefyre today announced the launch of "Your Story. Our History.", a program celebrating the local heritage of the bay area YMCAs and their impact on the communities they serve. Now through the end of August, the greater YMCA of San Francisco is inviting community members to submit their own memories, images and stories about how the Y has impacted their lives, honoring the 160th anniversary of this beloved institution.
Chuck Collins, President and CEO of YMCA of San Francisco stated, "This is a landmark event for the YMCA as we celebrate building community with millions of Bay Area families over the past 160 years. From first swim lessons, to triathlon trainings and summer camps, anyone who has been a member of the Y has a story to tell. We’re thrilled to now invite the greater San Francisco YMCA community to share their own stories and memories, celebrating what makes the Y so special to so many individuals."
The YMCA of San Francisco was founded in 1853 in Chinatown’s Portsmouth’s Square, with the first official Chinatown YMCA founded in 1871. In 1887 the 20th Street Mission branch opened followed by The Army Navy YMCA - now the Embarcadero YMCA - in 1908. In its 160 Year history, the YMCA of San Francisco has supported young immigrants arriving in the USA in the early 1900s, helped found the Boy Scouts of America, created an Urban Services branch chartered to support urban youth and even hosted First Lady Michelle Obama when she launched her “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity. Today, there are 14 YMCA branches across the the Bay Area serving more than 130,000 youth, adults and families.
Everyone who has been a part of this colorful history is invited to share their story on social media networks including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #Y160. All of the images, Facebook posts and tweets posted with this hashtag will be featured in a real-time Social Hub on ymcasf.org, that was developed and powered by Livefyre. The site will also feature exclusive content from “YMCA Social Ambassadors” at each of the 14 local branches as well as memories from notable San Francisco business and political leaders.
Jordan Kretchmer, founder and CEO of Livefyre, explained, "As a San Francisco based company, Livefyre is proud to enable the YMCA of San Francisco to showcase their incredibly rich history through the eyes of its members. The social hub provides an easy way for Bay Area residents, YMCA members, donors and volunteers to honor the local branches that have supported them in so many ways through the years. It is heartwarming to watch these incredibly touching stories stream into ymcasf.org in real-time."
The YMCA unveiled "Your Story. Our History." at their annual Heritage Dinner in downtown San Francisco on the evening of July 10th. The real-time Social Hub featuring community-submitted stories is available at http://ymcasf.org/ShareYourStory now through August 31st.
About YMCA San Francisco
The YMCA of San Francisco makes accessible the support and opportunities that empower people and communities to learn, grow and become healthy. With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the San Francisco Bay Area's health and well-being, and provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors.
At the Y strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side by side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to improve their lives and their community.
About Livefyre
Livefyre is bringing social to the rest of the web, helping brands build engaging real-time conversations and community around their owned content. The company’s suite of real-time products are defining a new breed of web and mobile experiences that boost website traffic, increase user engagement and drive revenue. As one of the 10 largest networks online, Livefyre is powering real-time social experiences for over 200 leading brands including American Idol, AOL, Bravo, CBS, Conde Nast, Dow Jones/WSJ, FOX, Newsweek/Daily Beast, Showtime, Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.
Founded in 2009 with offices in San Francisco and New York, Livefyre was named one of the best places to work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times. For more information, visit http://www.livefyre.com or follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @livefyre.
Colleen McMillen, Livefyre, http://www.livefyre.com, 917.344.9360, [email protected]
Share this article