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Turning Retirement into a Mission: Expanding Access to Camp
Today, we’re joined by Darrell Edquist, a member of the Community Engagement Board at the Isakson/Alpharetta Family YMCA, who has turned his retirement into something incredibly meaningful. Darrell set a personal goal to help 4,000 children—kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity—experience summer camp at the Y. And he didn’t just set the goal—he got to work. As of last week, he’s already raised enough support to send 74 kids to camp this summer. It’s a powerful reminder of what’s possible when someone decides to use their time, their relationships, and their energy to make a difference.   What You’ll Learn in This Episode:    ✅ How retirement purpose and honest self-reflection can lead to transformational community impact through youth summer camp fundraising ✅ Why a simple, consistent direct mail fundraising strategy built around personal relationships can outperform digital outreach and drive real charitable giving ✅ How sending underprivileged children to YMCA summer camp plants seeds of friendship, hope, and dreams that can ripple across generations ✅ How volunteer leadership rooted in giving without expectation of personal benefit can inspire others to discover their own joy of helping others Join the Y Connect Podcast to discover inspiring stories of transformation and wellness. Tune in for practical tips and community-driven insights on fitness transformation. Subscribe now to elevate your fitness journey!   TIMESTAMPS:   00:00 Darrell Edquist and his bold youth summer camp fundraising goal of sending 4,000 kids to camp 02:56 Darrell reflects on retirement purpose and discovering his greatest personal failure 08:52 What Darrell realized in attempting this goal to help others 14:03 The emotional story of a single mother and son that fuels Darrell’s summer camp scholarship mission 19:05 The three-step direct mail fundraising strategy for reaching the goal of helping underprivileged children 24:39 How to donate and send a child to YMCA summer camp    KEY TAKEAWAYS:   💎 The fundraising strategy proves that direct mail built on trust and personal relationships still cuts through the noise when digital outreach falls short. 💎 A child can go to summer camp for $250 per week, and a special-needs summer camp experience, at just $350, provides additional counselor support and individualized attention that can profoundly shape a child's future. 💎 When individuals model community volunteerism and giving back without personal benefit, they inspire an entire network to discover meaning and purpose through charitable giving.   ABOUT THE GUEST:  Darrell Edquist is a member of the Community Engagement Board at the Isakson/Alpharetta Family YMCA and a passionate advocate for expanding access to YMCA summer camp for children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend. After a 45-year career in sales and business, including more than 35 years in leadership roles overseeing teams and managing $50–$150 million in annual revenue, Darrell has, in retirement, turned his focus toward community impact. He’s set an ambitious personal goal: to help 4,000 under-resourced children attend YMCA summer camp. What started as a personal commitment has quickly become a growing movement. As of April 3rd, Darrell has already raised enough support to send 74 children to camp—opening the door for life-changing experiences, connection, and belonging. Darrell Edquist - Email   RESOURCES MENTIONED:  Website: YMCA Metro Atlanta Facebook: YMCA Metro Atlanta LinkedIn: YMCA Metro Atlanta  
(Y) Connect
https://ymcaatlanta.org/podcast
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