money for programs . Ron chaired the Mt . Madonna YMCA Y ’ s Men Club .”
By 1986 , the charter was complete , and a program executive was hired to begin providing services . However , the branch still didn ’ t have a name .
“ I had been to several Y conferences and met board members from around the country . There was a lot of repetition in names ,” continued Gerhardt . “ I wanted something that would represent the whole area without being too much Morgan Hill or too much Gilroy . Mt . Madonna Park was one of the places we liked to go camping with the YIGYIP , so I insisted on it as our name because it had a real connection to the area and our group .”
The first Mt . Madonna YMCA office was in downtown Morgan Hill in the Gadway building . “ Marilyn and Stan Gadway are still wonderful supporters of the YMCA and helped us get going in Morgan Hill . Marilyn also served on our first Mt . Madonna YMCA board of managers . Their support was crucial . As the organization grew , we eventually moved to the Friendly Inn ,” Gerhardt said .
From the very beginning , Mt . Madonna YMCA was dedicated to offering quality programs to meet the needs of their community . One of those initial needs was for group exercise classes , and at that time , step aerobics was becoming very popular . “ We had to hand-build steps for our classes , and because we didn ’ t have a facility big enough , we taught our classes out of local churches ,” recalls Cheryl Raushnot , a long-time group exercise instructor and wellness coach who has been with Mt . Madonna since it launched group exercise classes in the late 1980s . Raushnot , like Gerhardt , had previously served as a South Valley YMCA member and campaigner .
“ I love the Y . My kids grew up Y kids ,” Raushnot said . “ But what I find most moving about my years with the Y is how many people come to us for very different reasons , and how we ’ ve grown to meet the diverse needs of our community in order to empower people more and more .”
One of the other community needs during Mt . Madonna ’ s early years was affordable before and after school child care programs . Mary Hoshiko Haughey , a Morgan Hill resident who is now the YMCA of Silicon Valley ’ s Vice President of Operations , Youth Development and Social Responsibility , was the first site director at the first Y child care site at Paradise Valley Elementary School . “ Parents were commuting from Morgan Hill to work , and we also had a strong migrant population in the area . These families needed safe and affordable child care in the community . I was happy to be there when the doors opened .”
Since then , Mt . Madonna YMCA has grown exponentially . In partnership with the City of Morgan Hill , the Y operates health and wellness programs at the Centennial Recreation Center , a beautiful community facility . It also operates eight after school and child care facilities in the Morgan Hill Unified School District and partners with Youth Alliance , CAL-SOAP and the Gilroy Unified School District to operate five after school sites in Gilroy . In addition , the Y runs multiple youth sports leagues , a fun- and friend-filled summer day camp , and the organization has opened three wholesale produce markets in the last year , two in Morgan Hill and one in Gilroy .
All of these programs ’ needs , except for salaries , are funded entirely by the Mt . Madonna YMCA ’ s Annual Campaign each February . The Y ’ s Annual Campaign also allows the organization to provide financial assistance to help ensure that individuals in need are able to participate in Y programs .
While he could go on for hours about the benefits of the Y ’ s wide array of services , the program that Gerhardt is most proud of is the senior nutrition program with Senior Centers in Gilroy and Morgan Hill , where around 80 senior adults at each site are able to eat a hot , nutritious lunch in wonderfully inviting , social atmospheres . Equally important , no one is turned away from lunch if they are unable to pay .
“ We ’ re the only Y program for seniors like this in the entire area ,” he said . “ Our partnerships in the community for this program have been very helpful , and I ’ m proud of the connections I ’ ve made and the friends I have formed while volunteering for the Y .”
It all began in 1979 with a small group of fathers , who liked to spend weekends with their children celebrating and studying the native tribes of California and camping in the wilderness .
By Dana G . Williams
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