Rodrigo Guerrero and about 300 other volunteers understand that the Northwest YMCA is much more than a gym.
“Our mission is to build healthier communities, healthier families and develop youth. Basically we have a social responsibility along those avenues, so it is hard to put us in one category here at the YMCA,” said Yevette Sykes, senior program director at the Northwest YMCA and coordinator of the Fourth Annual Teen and Awards Gala on Saturday. “People view us as just a gym, but we are really a family center.”
Started as a benefit for the Teen Leadership Programs, the event has transformed into the annual campaign fundraiser and volunteer celebration for the Northwest YMCA, which serves more than 20,000 members annually at 7770 N. Shannon Road.
“This is embraced as the Northwest YMCA annual campaign fundraising event, and we present awards to people who have made a difference in the lives and the families of the Y,” said Sykes.
“We have so many dedicated volunteers, and many of them have been with us since we opened 11 years ago.”
Gala honorees include YMCA Northwest Branch Volunteer of the Year Cris Jablonski; Board of Managers Excellence of the Year Award, Laura Corona; Staff Member of the Year Award, Pandora Larsen; Donor Impact of the Year, La Frontera; and Youth Excellence of the Year Award, Rodrigo Guerrero.
Sykes said the gala retains an emphasis on youth involved in the YMCA’s three teen leadership programs: Youth in Government, Y Leaders and Y Leaders in Training. Participants in these programs and the public are eligible for the “Today’s Youth ... Tomorrow’s Leaders” program. Participants not only help to organize and stage the gala, but implement community service and leadership skills year-round through volunteerism at the Marana Food Bank, the UA Spring Fling, the Fourth Avenue Street Fair and other events.
Among the young leaders is Guerrero, 16.
A junior at Catalina Foothills High School, Guerrero has been active in programs such as Youth in Government, which promotes democracy and civic engagement for middle school and high school students through a model Legislature and model Congress. Participants can be eligible to attend a Conference on National Affairs with students from throughout the nation, which Guerrero has attended three times.
Guerrero said the experience is invaluable in helping to demystify government.
“This is one great way to inform youth and others about how important civics is and help them to realize that government is not a daunting thing. We want to make people familiar with it so they can play an active role, especially since government dictates our lives to a certain extent,” Guerrero said.
His experiences at the YMCA have helped to catapult him into activism in the community as well: Guerrero is an intern with Ward 5 Councilman Richard Fimbres; he served as lead intern with U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran during the last election; he has volunteered with U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva and he is a member of the American Patriot Memorial Foundation, which was started by Thomas Boyle to increase economic prosperity and aid veterans.
“I have been able to see what it is like to work on the government side to assist constituents with cases and to work on the political side to promote different measures that can impact yourself and constituents. I think that campaigning is fun and exciting and nitty-gritty, and we need to change the negative rhetoric. The only way to do that is to get involved yourself,” Guerrero said.
In the future, Guerrero would love the opportunity to attend American University or George Mason University in Washington, D.C., and to intern on Capitol Hill.
As a fourth-generation Tucsonan, he is also dedicated to his roots and wants to continue to serve the Southern Arizona community.
“Tucson is an interesting and special place because of the diversity. The southern border of the U.S. is 67 miles away, and we have such diverse groups of individuals within the city and suburbs. The city of Tucson is a growing metropolis with many different businesses, and there is an exciting revitalization of downtown with a real diversity not just of race but of thought and opinion,” he said.
Diversity is also a hallmark of the YMCA, which serves people of all cultures, religions and socioeconomic groups, according to Sykes. She said proceeds from the upcoming benefit will help to retain that diversity by providing scholarships for YMCA memberships and programs to about 6,000 individuals.
“These programs include summer camps, swimming classes, gym memberships and youth and family programs. We give out more than we raise and last year we gave out $124,000 in financial assistance,” Sykes said.
