The Kitsap Family YMCA wrapped up its 2004 Strong Kids Campaign recently. Just over $84,000 in pledges and gifts were committed to support youth and families in Kitsap County.

The major gift that put the campaign over the top was a new van donated by Aaron Capps, owner of Thomas Lincoln-Mercury and Advantage Nissan.

The van will transport children, ages 5-12 years old, every morning to their grade school from one of six YMCA childcare sites and return them to the childcare sites after school for several more hours of YMCA learning. Every Friday, teenagers from Bremerton’s Westpark neighborhood, will take the van on a field trip to the YMCA Teen Late Night program. All summer long, the van will be busy transporting children to the two summer day camps offered by the Kitsap Family YMCA.

Campaign team leaders, Monica Blackwood, Carl Cramer, Cheryl Oakly, Vic Ulsh, Ivay Alexander, Collette Buhr, Katrina Fulkerson, Jane Erlandsen and Kathy Pickard led the charge by raising a total of $84,292, $9,292 above their original goal. Jim Paige, the campaign chairman, can be credited with organizing the successful campaign and helping teams surpass the organization’s goal.

Last year, the Kitsap Family YMCA provided $168,000 in scholarship support for low-income youth to attend latchkey before and after school childcare and summer day camp. In addition, more than 1600 teens were able to participate in the Teen Late Night program. The Learn-to-swim program, which has taught handicapped children how to swim for four decades, continues to grow at the Kitsap Family YMCA with community support.