[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 121 (Friday, September 6, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S10022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                EXPANSION OF THE FARMINGTON FAMILY YMCA

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the 
grand opening on October 12, 1996, of the expanded Farmington Family 
YMCA. On this day, an organization with a record of community service 
spanning more than three decades will open the doors of a new 15,000 
square foot facility to the families of Novi, West Bloomfield, 
Farmington, and Farmington Hills.
  Chartered in 1965, the Farmington Area YMCA has over 4,200 members 
and more than 30,000 users annually. The completed expansion, for which 
all construction funds were raised privately, includes a second 
swimming pool to service physically challenged individuals. The new 
facility is also better equipped to aid the rehabilitation efforts of 
patients participating in an existing partnership program with 
Providence, Botsford General, and Sinai Hospitals.
  This institution can truly be characterized as a family serving YMCA. 
While it currently provides all latchkey programs for students in the 
Farmington and Farmington Hills school districts, the YMCA can now 
offer greater babysitting and child care services in addition to a 
special ``Kids Zone.'' Not only will families benefit from the 
expansion; the State of Michigan recently awarded the city of 
Farmington Hills a special grant to initiate a collaborative program 
with the YMCA and the Farmington public schools to serve the needs of 
young teens to assist in a community wide effort to prevent juvenile 
delinquency.
  Finally, while expanding the physical structure provides the space to 
implement these programs, without the dedication of the exceptional 
volunteers involved with the YMCA, the completion of this ambitious 
project would have been impossible. Their efforts truly are 
commendable, and on this upcoming October 12 I salute these community 
servants and congratulate the families of the Farmington area on the 
many years of enjoyment they will receive from their expanded 
YMCA.

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