On Friday, November 6, the Summit Area YMCA (SAY) hosted its annual Laugh Out Loud (LOL) fundraiser at Canoe Brook Country Club, raising $360,332. Every dollar supports the Y’s financial assistance program, which helps over 1,600 local families take part in programs like membership, childcare, summer camp, and swim lessons at the YMCA. 

SAY President and CEO Anjali McCormick and Board of Trustees Chair Lisa Grennon opened the evening by celebrating the Y’s 140th year, noting that the community received $1.2 million in financial assistance in 2025. “The magic we see every day at the Y is what this community makes possible,” McCormick told guests. 

While Patrick Tully returned as auctioneer and emcee, LOL came with a new twist: magician Alexander Boyce, recently featured in The New York Times. Boyce conjured two doves out of thin air and stunned the room with a handwritten letter that predicted the name, drink, and number three guests had just chosen. 

The heart of the evening was the paddle raise, with giving levels ranging from six months of childcare for a local family to ensuring membership for all where every person, at every age, knows they belong. Between levels, guests saw the impact of their gifts, hearing directly from members of the Y community in short videos: a parent on the peace of mind quality childcare brings, a teen preparing for college through Achievers, a mom whose daughter found joy in the Y’s adaptive programs, and a senior who came to the Y for her health and found so much more than a workout. 

One of the night’s most moving moments came from Theresa Carlo, a mother of three who, despite never having set foot in a gym, joined LIVESTRONG at the YMCA at the Berkeley Heights YMCA after treatment for throat cancer left her weak. “If you are facing cancer right now, I want you to know there is hope,” she told guests. “There is community. And there is strength waiting for you, sometimes in places you never expected.” 

Diane Berry, VP of Advancement, said, “This was my first LOL, and Friday night showed me just how generous this community is. Our donors make it possible for the Y to say yes to any family who needs us, and they are the reason our doors stay open to all.” 

The Summit Area YMCA sends a big thank you to all our generous sponsors, especially our Title Sponsor, the Douglas Family, our Platinum Sponsors, Capital Group and Robert F. Moriarty, and our Gold Sponsors, JPMorgan, Vericon Construction, and Ward Strategies.  

None of this would be possible without our Y community: the LOL Event Committee, Board of Trustees, Y staff, volunteers, and every guest and donor who showed up for their neighbors. 

To learn more about the Summit Area YMCA, visit www.thesay.org. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.thesay.org/give.