By Hamilton Richardson
At Monday’s annual meeting of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery, some special awards, recognition and honors were given to employees and volunteers alike, but the biggest honor, and a surprise for him, was given to Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley.
Most of the annual meeting, which was held in the Lodge at the Grandview Family YMCA, was filled with the celebration of great achievements in fundraising and also recognizing the many years of faithful service of YMCA employees and volunteers.
Toward the end of the meeting, Bill Myers, Executive Director of the Grandview Family YMCA, stood to address the crowd for a different kind of honor.
“I’m glad to be here today to give this award,” Myers said. “Mayor Al Kelley has been serving the Millbrook area and is currently serving his sixth term as Mayor of the City of Millbrook. Under his leadership, the city’s budget has grown, the quality of life here has improved and our fine city has become one of the fastest growing cities in Alabama.”
Myers continued by saying that Mayor Kelley has had a long record of community involvement, but his involvement with the YMCA goes all the way back as a child with the East Y in Montgomery.
“As an adult, Mayor Kelley continued his involvement with the Y,” Myers said. “He helped with past capitol campaigns and raised funds for expansion. This award goes to a true philanthropist with his time, talent and treasure. I’ve often said that in order to have a great YMCA, you have to have a great city. We have a great city here in Millbrook because of a great leader in a dear friend Al Kelley. It’s my honor to present the YMCA John 17:21 Lifetime Achievement and Philanthropy Award to Mayor Al Kelley.”
Kelly stood to the applause and a standing ovation from the multitudes who had gathered and shook hands with the President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery, Gary Cobbs.
Before addressing the crowd about the award, Kelley asked his family to stand.
“I couldn’t do this without my family,” he said. “Some of the people who have won this award. I’m just proud to be mentioned in the same breath.”
Kelley expressed his pride in the organization by saying, “I’m proud that each Y is doing so well.”
The mayor began to take the group down memory lane to his early days with the YMCA.
“I grew up in the East YMCA, worked in the East YMCA. I remember the days when I could ride my bike to the Y. You can’t do that anymore. You’ll get run over,” he joked. “Over the last few days, I’ve been looking back and thinking back to those times. Playing basketball and ping pong at the Y. If you haven’t sat and thought about those kinds of things, you should.”
Kelley talked through some of his past experiences and memories with the YMCA and people who have influenced him over the years. He then turned his attention to a recent development, 17 Springs, that he is proud of.
The public facility in development, 17 Springs, will be off Highway 14 in Millbrook and will host sporting events, both indoors and outdoors, and will include a recreational pond, fieldhouse, concessions and multiple sporting fields.
“When we broke ground over there, I couldn’t talk about 17 springs a whole bunch because it was secretive at the time,” he commented. “It’s well on its way. Phase 1 is scheduled for October.”
Kelley then thanked everyone involved in making the Y such a great place.
“Thank you, Bill Myers. Bill Myers is probably one of the most dynamic young men I’ve ever met,” he said. “He never stops. Bill, thank you for everything you do. Thank all of you volunteers, you fundraisers, people that do this job day in and day out and they just want to help. The volunteers, the civic groups, the organizations that make things happen.”
After thanking what he called his “city family”, Kelley ended his time before the crowd saying, “I’m not deserving. I hope that the Greater Montgomery YMCA keeps growing.”
