ST. LOUIS - First Mid Bank & Trust (First Mid) has pledged a $25,000 donation to the Youth & Family Center (YFC) in downtown St. Louis to replace the organization’s aging gymnasium floor.
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Dr. LaChrisa Crenshaw, YFC Executive Director, stated the $25,000 donation will help YFC provide a safe, welcoming space where kids of all ages can enjoy more opportunities to achieve their full potential and see a brighter future in the community. The current gymnasium is a multi-functional and recreational space. However, the concrete and urethane-coated floor is failing and unsafe, limiting the organization’s ability to offer young people quality programs in a safe environment.
“Our kids want a place to go that they can be proud of,” said Dr. Crenshaw. “A place that offers the opportunity to make good choices. Right now, there aren’t a lot of places for our kids, teens, and young adults to be active and have fun. We want to provide that space for them at the Center. Having a renovated and functioning gym floor with secure and usable exterior doors would help us in so many ways.”
First Mid learned about the need through The Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Sports Foundation, which is facilitating project renovations at the YFC to address the gymnasium floor and main entrance security. During the fall of 2022, the MAC Sports Foundation kicked off the fundraising efforts for this project by pledging $50,000 in support, which inspired a $50,000 donation from the American Hellenic Foundation and generous financial and in-kind contributions from MAC Members.
“We are thrilled to support the YFC and impact the lives of local youth and families in the St. Louis community,” said Joe Dively, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at First Mid. “This is a great opportunity to show our unwavering commitment to our communities by supporting a safe and inviting space for St. Louis youth to enjoy positive experiences through sports and teamwork.”
Dively will be presenting the donation on behalf of First Mid on Thursday, March 16. Along with Dr. Crenshaw, Wally Smith, CEO and General Manager of the Missouri Athletic Club, Greg Beekman, President of the MAC Sports Foundation, and Coach Floyd Irons, Youth Sports Coordinator at the YFC, will be present to receive the donation.
The MAC Sports Foundation has an ongoing fundraising campaign to benefit the YFC. To learn more, visit mac-sportsfoundation.org.
About the Youth & Family Center (YFC)
Founded in 1888, the Youth & Family (YFC) supports residents of St. Louis to achieve their full potential. The YFC vision remains for every youth, senior, and family to have the necessary resources to live healthy, stable, and independent lives in a safe and vibrant community. Today, YFC programs educate, advocate, build job skills, and support healthy living across generations. As community stabilizers, they strive to meet evolving community needs.
About First Mid Bancshares, Inc.
First Mid Bancshares, Inc. is the parent company of First Mid Bank & Trust, N.A., First Mid Insurance Group, and First Mid Wealth Management Company. First Mid is a $6.7 billion community-focused organization that provides a full-suite of financial services including banking, wealth management, brokerage, Ag services, and insurance through a sizeable network of locations throughout Illinois, Missouri, and Texas, and a loan production office in the greater Indianapolis area. Together, our First Mid team takes great pride in providing solutions and services to our customers and communities and has done so over the last 157 years. More information about the Company is available on our website at firstmid.
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