St. Louis, MO (May 19, 2026) |
The Gateway Region YMCA announced today a $500,000 donation from the First Community Children and Family Foundation in support of the YMCA Adaptive Sports Complex and adaptive programming. The gift includes naming rights for the Adaptive Sports Complex Pavilion.
Y athletes and their families were on-hand for a check presentation held prior to a baseball game in the spring season, with First Community throwing out the first pitch in celebration of the partnership with the Y.
“We are so thankful to the First Community Children and Family Foundation for this incredibly generous investment in support of youth and adults with disabilities,” stated Tim Helm, President and CEO of the Gateway Region YMCA. “First Community is a tremendous community leader, and this generous gift provides essential support to expand and enhance our services to allow athletes of all abilities the opportunity to participate and enjoy baseball and other sports at the facility.”
After relocating its south county location on Tesson Ferry Road adjacent to the Sports Complex, First Community Credit Union leadership approached the Y to discuss a potential partnership aimed at supporting athletes and programs for disabled youth.
"At First Community, we're all about families", said Glenn D. Barks, President & CEO. "The goal of our foundation is to help non-profits that support St Louis-area children and families. This is a unique opportunity to do that. I am proud we're part of it."
The YMCA Adaptive Sports Complex and Baseball field provide a variety of sports programming to children, and adults, with disabilities. The Sports Complex features the Paul Goldschmidt adaptive baseball field, barrier-free dugout, synthetic turf field, accessible field and walking track, and an accessible-sensory-rich playground, as well as an adjacent multi-purpose field. The Gateway Region YMCA currently serves more than 1,000 children and adults with disabilities through fitness, camps, child care, swimming, sports and other programs.