Long-time Y Member and Supporter Ethan Hawke to Help Raise Awareness with Selfie Program to Support the Y's "For a better us." Campaign

CHICAGO, Sept. 27, 2017 — (PRNewswire) —  Tomorrow, YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) will launch a new social media campaign, #SelfieWithSomeoneNew. Inspired by the Y's new " Us" national campaign creative, #SelfieWithSomeoneNew is an opportunity to highlight how the Y uniquely brings people together. To help raise awareness for the campaign, the Y will partner with long-time member and supporter, actor Ethan Hawke.  

Beginning tomorrow, September 28, the Y is encouraging people to meet someone new, strike up a conversation and discover what they have in common, then, take a selfie and post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #SelfieWithSomeoneNew and tag @YMCA. Whether it's a new neighbor down the street, a parent at your child's school or a person you see every day on your commute home, the Y hopes people will take a few extra moments to get to know one another in order to build a stronger, more connected community.  

To encourage participation, the Y is partnering with Oscar-nominated actor, Ethan Hawke, a long-time Y member and former Y camper. To help drive momentum, Hawke will be taking a selfie with someone new at his local Y while encouraging others to do the same.

"I am excited to support the Y and help shine a light on the work they do," said Hawke. "They are so much more than a gym. They create community. I started going to the Y as kid when my parents didn't know what to do with me all summer. Since then, the Y has been a staple in my life; my refuge when I am an out of work actor, or the place that has taught my children to swim. I hope we can raise awareness about everything the Y does in communities all over the country."

Because of the Y, people who may not have met otherwise, come together, whether they are kids in an afterschool enrichment program, adults in a cancer survivorship group or families volunteering. These are natural and easy ways for people to find commonality and even unity among perceived differences.

"For more than 160 years, the Y has brought people together – no matter their differences – and helped build stronger, more connected communities," said Kevin Washington, President and CEO, Y-USA. "#SelfieWithSomeoneNew is a great way to illustrate how we can all take small, but meaningful steps towards unity with something as simple as a photo."

For more information on how to participate in the Y's #SelfieWithSomeoneNew campaign and to learn more about the Y's "For a better us." campaign, visit ymca.net/forabetterus.

About the Y
The Y is one of the nation's leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Ys engage 22 million men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation's health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. ymca.net

 

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SOURCE YMCA of the USA

Contact:

YMCA of the USA Emily Gallagher, WME|IMG, 917-499-1373 Email Contact ; Emily Waldren, YMCA of the USA, 312-419-8756 Email Contact Web: http://www.ymca.net