Hannibal YMCA recipient of $108,875 in grants from Riedel Foundation

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The YMCA of Hannibal will benefit from two recent grant awards from the George H. Riedel Foundation. Trustees awarded a $100,000 grant to fund scholarships for membership, summer camp and daycare at the YMCA.

In a press release, Hannibal YMCA CEO Eric Abts said, “Thirty percent of all youth funding is made possible with these scholarships funded through the Riedel Foundation. Our commitment is that no one will ever be turned away from the YMCA for their inability to pay, and the Riedel Foundation makes that possible.”

Since it was established in 2000, the Riedel Foundation has given substantial awards to the YMCA of Hannibal. Approximately a third of the foundation’s annual funding benefits the Y, with the majority of it going toward scholarships. It also has supported the Y with supplemental grants for things like starting up a café, new playground equipment and other projects.

“When George Riedel established his trust fund, he made it clear that he wanted the YMCA to be a major beneficiary of his legacy,” Riedel Foundation lead trustee Michael Bukstein said. “The YMCA was close to his heart, and we want to honor that.”

The Riedel Foundation also awarded a $8,875 grant to fund the Third Grade Water Safety program. This is the 11th year for this program, funded each time by Riedel grants. Third graders from Hannibal’s public schools are transported to the YMCA, where they learn and practice safety and swimming skills.

“We work with the children so they can gain an understanding of how to have fun in the water in a safe way,” senior program director Kelly Colley said. “With skills and knowledge, the children of Hannibal can help reduce the high childhood drowning rate that our nation faces.”

The Riedel Foundation has awarded approximately $6 million in grants to non-profit agencies that serve Hannibal residents.