Philip Bullock and his smile.

With any organization, the contributions and character of its people make all the difference. Take away family and friends, and a home becomes merely a house, a town nothing more than a geographic region. The same is true of the Lakewood YMCA: Its strength is in its people.

The Lakewood YMCA serves our community in many ways. But it couldn’t do so as effectively without significant contributions from outstanding members of that community. These are the people who make the YMCA much more than a gym, and they contribute in many ways – by giving time, by donating to scholarship funds, and even just by being members. Some people give in less quantifiable ways, but their gifts are none the lesser. They give their energy, they share their hopeful and supportive personalities, or perhaps they just know how to make others smile. Philip Bullock is one of those people.

Like many teenagers, Phil enjoys sports. Phil’s favorites are basketball, swimming, and Iron Kids (a group fitness program designed for kids and taught by YMCA fitness instructors). Phil comes to the Lakewood YMCA nearly every day to shoot hoops, go for swims, and work out with other Iron Kids. In these ways, Phil might sound like a typical high school kid, but Phil isn’t typical – he’s exceptional.

Phil has Down Syndrome, a chromosomal condition that challenges Phil on the basketball court, in the pool, and in the gym. But Down Syndrome hasn’t touched Phil’s giving spirit. Phil knows how to make people smile. To know Phil is to like him, and for many at the YMCA, to love him.

It seems that the feelings are mutual. Two of Phil’s prized possessions are his YMCA identification card and his basketball. Phil has been a fixture at the Lakewood YMCA since well before the new building opened. Though never one to complain, Phil couldn’t wait to try out the bigger and better facilities. The spacious new gymnasium and modern pool were tantalizing. Phil was there the day the new building opened and, happily, it seems that he hasn’t left yet.

The YMCA is a huge part of Phil’s life. Day after day, Phil shows up with his basketball, his identification card, and a beaming smile. To Phil, the YMCA isn’t just a gym, it’s a community and, in a sense, a home. It’s a place where he’s comfortable and welcome. It’s a place where he can safely play, have some fun, and meet with friends. It’s where his spirit soars.

With much dedication and hard work, over the years, Phil has dramatically improved his motor coordination, physical strength, and social adeptness. With good cause, Phil’s parents, Rob and Beth Bullock, and his fitness instructors, Andrew Maynard and Alan Armstrong, couldn’t be prouder. And neither could the YMCA.

Without people like Phil, the Lakewood YMCA would remain a premier community-based charitable organization with top-notch fitness facilities. With people like Phil, the Lakewood YMCA is, like Phil, exceptional. If you are interested in learning more about how the Lakewood YMCA gives to our community and how you can become part of its efforts, please visit www.clevelandymca.org or come by the Lakewood branch. Maybe you’ll be fortunate enough to run into Phil. You’ll know him by his smile.

Matthew M. Nee
Lakewood YMCA Community Advisory Board Member