Robert L. Johnson Announces One Million Dollar Gift

Robert L. Johnson, owner of the new Charlotte NBA expansion franchise and the Charlotte Sting of the WNBA, announced a gift of one million dollars to benefit the West Boulevard YMCA. The donation will be used for a new YMCA on the corner of Donald Ross Road and West Boulevard. The gift was announced Thursday, May 15, at a dinner hosted by Ken Thompson and Mac Everett of Wachovia Corporation, who both serve in volunteer leadership positions with the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.

“This is an investment in the Charlotte community on behalf of the new NBA franchise and the Charlotte Sting,” said Mr. Johnson about the gift. “The YMCA’s development of the West Boulevard site is critical to the social, physical and educational enrichment of the West Corridor community.”

“Mr. Johnson’s gift will create tremendous momentum in our effort to raise the additional funds needed to build a first-class facility in a community that will benefit greatly from a new Y,” said Reggie Tiller, Branch Executive of the West Boulevard YMCA. “The community has pulled together in unprecedented fashion, enabling us to strengthen the lives of children and families in the West Corridor.”

The West Boulevard YMCA is part of the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, a United Way member agency. The YMCA of Greater Charlotte—the ninth largest YMCA in the United States—is comprised of numerous branches and program sites in Charlotte, Mooresville, Lake Norman, Matthews, and Lincoln County, as well as two camps. The 128-year-old non-profit organization serves one in every six individuals in its service area with a continuum of educational and recreational programs that foster growth in spirit, mind and body. Program and membership financial assistance is available. For additional information, visit www.ymcacharlotte.org.