Over 200 people attended the Summit Area YMCA’s Annual Celebration on Thursday, April 25, to pay tribute to the volunteers, members, staff, and donors who advance its mission every day. The organization bestowed the highest honor it grants any individual, the Shuart Reed Award, to Phyllis Sank for her commitment to the betterment of the community. Its Community Partnership Award went to the Summit Elks Lodge #1246, an organization that has been integral to the Extra Special Prom for youth with special needs that is held at the Berkeley Heights YMCA every year.
The evening was filled with video testimonials and speeches detailing the widespread impact the Summit Area YMCA has on the community through everything from food distribution to the direct scholarships it provides. Throughout the night, one message kept resurfacing; the Y’s service work would simply not be possible without the generous individuals who give of their time, talent, and treasure.
“We were so proud to recognize honorees that represent the best of our volunteers, donors, members, staff, and community partners,” said Summit Area YMCA President and CEO Paul Kieltyka. “At the Y, we strive to celebrate our service every day, but our Annual Celebration is truly a special evening that reminds us how lucky and privileged we are to be woven into the fabric of the community.”
A special surprise of the evening was when beloved comedian Adam Sank, whose talent helped shape the success of the Summit Area YMCA’s LOL Charity Auction, took to the stage to introduce his mother, Phyllis Sank. Through jokes about his mother’s long history of receiving community awards, Adam showcased just how much Phyllis has done for the Summit area community for more than 50 years.
During her acceptance of the Shuart Reed Award, Phyllis shared the incredible origins and evolution of the Summit Child Care Center, which is now The Learning Circle YMCA (TLC). As Board President of the Summit Child Care Center, Phyllis helped bring to life the vision of a “children’s crusade” to provide affordable and exceptional early childhood education to local families. Under Phyllis’s leadership, the community raised $600,000 to construct a warm, inviting facility at 95 Morris Avenue. Phyllis later played an instrumental role in the center’s merger with the Summit Area YMCA. As a powerful testimonial from two parents reminded attendees, the values of the original Summit Child Care Center live on today through the love, care, and educational excellence found at TLC.
A wide range of emotions were felt throughout the course of the evening, and the presentation of the Community Partnership Award to the Summit Elks Lodge #1246 encapsulated that perfectly. Tears of happiness filled the room as a video about the annual Extra Special Prom at the Berkeley Heights YMCA played. The footage displayed the utter joy emanating from the young adults with special needs who attend the prom—a milestone they might otherwise miss out on if not for the Elks’s partnership with the Y.
The Summit Elks’s Exalted Ruler Fred Honold quickly turned tears into laughs as he formed the Elks’s sign and demonstrated how easy it is to adjust that sign into a “Y.” Fred and his fellow Elks members then continued to illuminate the synergies between the two organizations in their commitment to serving the community and to enriching the lives of youth with special needs.
Another memorable moment of the night was the roar of applause that filled the room for Summit Area YMCA membership staff Milena Beita and Brittany Simon. Both were presented with the Frank Cavallo Memorial Award for being “unsung heroes” through their day in, day out dedication to the Y’s mission, their remarkable leadership, and the warm, inclusive atmosphere they create for Y members. Through the recent Summit YMCA renovation, COVID-19, and more, Milena’s and Brittany’s steady presence and willingness to always go above and beyond helped navigate their colleagues through times of great change.
In keeping with tradition, graduating high school students from the Y Achievers program, which provides free college and career preparation, enjoyed much-deserved recognition for their outstanding accomplishments in academics and community service. This year, Diane Saint-Louis was awarded the Y’s H. Leon Cross Scholarship, and Olivia Curtis received the Frederick J. Watts Scholarship. Amya Miles-Colbert, Ian Hopkins, Zoe Hopkins, Isabelle Jean, Vanessa Jackson, and Josh Jones, were awarded the long-standing Dwight Giles Achievers Scholarship.
