The South Shore YMCA, celebrating its 127th year of service to the South Shore, is proud to announce that it is the recipient of a $500,000 gift from Dan Quirk in support of its summer camp program in Quincy. In honor of Mr. Quirk’s gift, the Y summer camp in Quincy located at Snug Harbor Elementary School has been renamed Camp Quirk.
The South Shore YMCA has been providing summer camp services for the youth of the South Shore since it opened “Kamp Kwinzy” on Robbins Pond in East Bridgewater in 1919, one hundred years ago. Today, it offers summer day camp programs in Quincy, at Camp Gordon Clark at the Emilson YMCA in Hanover and at the South Shore Natural Science Center, as well as residential camps for boys and girls at Camp Burgess and Hayward in Sandwich.
“From our earliest days, summer camp has been a core component of our youth development mission,” said Paul Gorman, President and CEO of the South Shore YMCA. “Camp serves many purposes, from basic childcare for working families to summer learning loss prevention, teen leadership development and more. We are truly grateful that Mr. Quirk believes so strongly in supporting the healthy development of children. His transformative gift will have a major impact on thousands of children.”
Dan Quirk’s economic impact on the region has been felt for more than 40 years. He opened his first Chevy dealership in Braintree in 1977, and now owns and operates 15 dealerships in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. He has known – and employed – generations of South Shore residents who grew up in the Quincy area, and is proud to know that he is supporting the next generation of South Shore kids with opportunities to grow and thrive.
“For decades now, Quirk Automotive and our family have been committed to giving South Shore residents the keys they need to move forward,” said Dan Quirk. “We are proud to continue to support the South Shore YMCA in its focus on health and development of our area’s youth, especially through summer camp.”
“Kids who are unable to attend summer camp activities can fall behind their peers once school starts again in the fall,” said Gorman. “Our goals at the Y are to ensure that we offer every kid access to camp, and that our camps are safe, fun and engaging learning and recreational environments. Mr. Quirk’s gift helps the South Shore YMCA to extend financial assistance to more families in need, ensuring that more children in our community can enjoy the benefits of camp for years to come.”
“Every child deserves opportunity,” said Quirk. “I like to think that the next great South Shore entrepreneur is out there somewhere, and that in some small way this gift will help bring the next great idea forward.”
For more information about the South Shore YMCA, please contact Mary Orne, Vice President of Development, at 781-264-9400 ext. 3306 or morne@ssymca.org.
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About the South Shore YMCA: The South Shore YMCA is a not-for-profit association of individuals dedicated to improving the quality of life for all through programs that promote healthy spirit, mind, and body. Serving the communities of Quincy, Randolph, Holbrook, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Hingham, Hull, Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover and beyond, the South Shore Y provides the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive through its services and programs. Financial Assistance is a Y community benefit available to all families in need, applicable to all Y programs and services. To learn more about the South Shore YMCA, visit www.ssymca.org. The South Shore YMCA. The Better You Belongs Here.