Congratulations to our first class of Catch Success Graduates!
On Wednesday, August 10th, 2022, Nicky Lopez of the Kansas City Royals, Brandon Richardson with KCCU, and Andre Sigler from the Linwood YMCA presented each of the 40+ graduates with a custom backpack containing school supplies for the upcoming school year. All graduates also received a certificate to open a complimentary $25 savings account from Kansas City Credit Union to provide them a head start on their financial futures. Also, in celebration of the successful Summer 2022 Catch Success session, Lopez and KCCU presented the Linwood YMCA with a $10,000 donation check to help continue Catch Success, Launch Pad and other programming at the Linwood YMCA. A total of $20,000 has now been donated toward the overall goal of $50,000 to benefit the Linwood Y.
This summer the kids learned about the history of money, budgeting their money for both short- and long-term purchases, how interest is accrued by saving over time, how to save for emergencies and how to plan for future financial success. They got to play games and do activities that made learning about financial literacy fun!
Nicky commented that this program is something he had never seen before and after 12 weeks, he is very excited to see these kids graduate! Nicky didn’t learn about money management until he went to college, so he is glad these kids are getting a head start in learning this important skill at such a young age. He wants to help make this program an ongoing part of programming at the YMCA.
“This has been a great summer for the YMCA and the kids that were part of Catch Success,” said Andre Sigler, Associate Executive Director of the Linwood YMCA. “When athletes like Nicky Lopez and organizations like Kansas City Credit Union step up to help influence the future success of young people in Kansas City, we all win. ‘Catch Success’ is not just a name, it has been a hands-on part of our weekly Launch Pad programming at the Linwood Y and the kids have loved it!” 
The event wasn’t all business – after the check presentation and backpack distribution, Nicky and the graduates had a blast playing kickball, laughing, and talking. Nicky, as always, made time for photos and autographs!
We can’t wait to continue this program in the Fall, and want to thank everyone who volunteered their time and energy – this program wouldn’t have happened without a huge amount of teamwork and dedication from all those involved – we appreciate you!
Want to know how you can help or want more information about the program?
