Wanderlust Ball Raises $1.9 Million For North Shore YMCA

BEVERLY, MA — It was a night filled with glitter and generosity at the Glen T. MacLeod Cape Ann YMCA as "The Wanderlust Ball" raised $1.9 million for the YMCA of the North Shore's community programs in its return from a two-year COVID-19 hiatus .

More than 400 people attended the Ball where guests combined to donate $650,000 to the YMCA's ONEDoor Program.

"Being able to bring people together in person after three years was wonderful," said Marge Cregg, Chief Advancement Officer, YMCA of the North Shore. "The energy and excitement in the room were palpable."

ONEDoor Honorary Chairs Kristine Trustey and Sean McGraw also made a $1.5 million donation — $500,000 of which will be available the first year of the ONEDoor program and will combine with the guest donations and pre-event fundraising to garner $1.9 million for this year's programs.

The funding will support the YMCA's mental health initiative as well as programs that serve the needs of individuals, families and children across the North Shore and southern New Hampshire.

"We are so grateful to our gala Honorary Chairs, Kristine Trustey and Sean McGraw, who have led the charge in helping us launch this transformative program for children, adults, and families," YMCA of the North Shore CEO Chris Lovasco said. "With the addition of an experienced leader in the mental wellness space, coupled with our dedicated team of staff members already focused on mental health, we are positioned to deepen our long-standing commitment to mental wellness and meet this need like never before."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)