On Thursday July 21, Soundview Family YMCA in Branford was a key stop on this summer's Central Connecticut Coast (CCC) YMCA 2016 Mission Tour.

Soundview Y campers wowed a group of honored guests. The kids performed skits, showed their swimming skills and otherwise demonstrated how the Y camp experience builds character traits of respect, honesty, caring and responsibility.

U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D, District 3 of CT), State Senator Ted Kennedy Jr.  (D, District 12) and State Representative Sean Scanlon (D, District 98) as well as former State Representative Pat Widlitz were among the day's guests.  State Representatives Vincent Candelora (R, District 86) and Lonnie Reed (D, District 102) were also scheduled, but unable to attend.

The tour was part of a series of mission visits to area YMCA's meant to help engage, educate and inspire board members, major donors, and community stakeholders by seeing the Y's mission in action.

Serving the shoreline from its beautiful facility at 628 East Main St. , Soundview Y was newly constructed and opened in August 2010. It opened thanks to years of effort by a small army of Soundview Y supporters (led by Phase 1 Campaign Chairman Charlie Andriole of Branford) with help from legislators, local leaders, board members and many others. They successfully raised some $9.2 million in funds to complete Soundview Y's first phase of construction.

"Our local legislators have supported this Y since before we even had a branch," noted Soundview Y Executive Director Doug Shaw. "They supported helping build this Y; and they continue to support this Y, and that's why they're all here today. It's great to have all the support, not only of our state but of our federal officials."

During a luncheon following a morning visit with campers, Shaw thanked Widlitz, who served 10 consecutive terms from 1995 – 2014 (D, District 98 – Stony Creek, Pine Orchard, Guilford) and all the lawmakers for their support. Scanlon said he would do his best to continue Widlitz's legacy while Kennedy  said he well remembered when the Y was just in the talking phase and added it is now nothing less than a  "community hub."  Both said they welcomed the opportunity to back Soundview Y in Hartford so that it can continue to provide opportunities such as the camp experience to area families of all incomes.

Soundview Y serves the communities of Branford, North Branford and Guilford.  Soundview Y Board members including Anita Catardi, a Guilford resident, and Patricia Andriole, a Branford resident (for whom Branford's Patricia C. Andriole Volunteer Services Building is named), both spoke about the positive social interaction, healthy lifestyle opportunities and community value Soundview Y creates for all ages.

Soundview Y's green-designed facility offers two indoor pools, a state-of-the art wellness center, teen/active adult center, dance and exercise space, and child care areas. The outdoor grounds are home to one of several affordable summer camp experiences with on-site features such as 35-foot-high climbing wall. Three types of summer day camps are currently offered through Soundview Y.

About 250 campers attend one of the three camps each day, where they learn values that will resonate with them for life, said Soundview Y Executive Director Doug Shaw.

"It's all about the youth of our future. It's about building character development within our campers – caring, respect, honesty and responsibility. We incorporate those four character values here in everything we do," said Shaw.

DeLauro said it was remarkable to think that those same values, together with the ideal of "creating community, and nurturing potential" have been around since America's YMCA organization first took root in 1851.

"From 1851 to 2016, this has been their core mission," said DeLauro. "And they have truly turned our society around; and made such a difference in forming and shaping youngsters."

CCC YMCA CEO and President David Stevenson said the association's current mission tour is traveling to five of CCC YMCA's  13 facilities and wraps up in August at YMCA Camp Hi-Rock (Washington, MA). Each stop is touching on different youth development and healthy living objectives emphasized through programs of YMCA.  In addition to character development, other programs range from ending chronic homelessness to closing the education achievement gap and also include swimming lessons and safety as well as preventing youth overweight and obesity issues.

"By far, the most important of those is character development," said Stevenson. "Respect, honesty, caring and responsibility – we use the four words all the time. The more you use the words, the more likely they'll understand what those words mean."

Stevenson said that character development "...goes on at the Y 24/7, 365 days a year – and we emphasize it not only for our kids, but for our adults, too."

Soundview Y Youth Director Katelyn Tortora shared how the campers gain positive exposure to the traits.

"It starts with who we hire and how we train them, and it continues as we mold those values in our campers," said Tortora. "We start the (camp) week off by going over the rules, and there are only four -- caring, respect, honesty and responsibility."

Positive behavior management, fun games and even awards at the end of the week for different ways campers showcase those values are part of the experience. 

DeLauro, Kennedy, Scanlon and Widlitz were impressed with the poise displayed by Soundview Y campers – some as young as three and four years of age – as they demonstrated skills such as swimming and put on skits to illustrate character development.

"Watching those kids on that stage --  the self-confidence to do that; as young as they are – really shows the self-reliance and independence which camp develops in children," DeLauro said to the Y representatives, Soundview Y board members and  other supporters joining the day's mission tour.

"It is about the experience," DeLauro added. "And they are loving this opportunity which you are providing to so many youngsters right here, and with the overnight camp in the Adirondacks; to learn the skills that they will know for the rest of their lives."