SALISBURY — On a foggy, gray Tuesday morning, members of the community gathered for a special breakfast celebration to honor 20 years of the J.F. Hurley Family YMCA as a place for service to Salisbury and beyond.

Those in the gym enjoyed a nice meal and heard details on how much the YMCA’s reach has shaped people’s lives.

“We’re celebrating this space and at the same time we’re launching our annual campaign, which is primarily for scholarships that will serve people in our community who are underserved,” said Jeanie Moore, chairman of the board of managers at the YMCA.

Attorney Ed Norvell was one of the people who helped raise funds for the YMCA back when it first opened. He spoke to the crowd about all that it took for the new YMCA to start operating in Salisbury. He said he looks forward to all it will do in the future and what the celebration means to him personally.

“It’s exciting, very exciting. It makes my very emotional frankly. I hope we will continue to thrive. We raised almost $10 million 20 years ago, but a lot more has been done since then,” Norvell said. “We can continue to be a presence in the community. We have banquets here, we have the vaccination clinic, we have the after school program, the swim programs. We continue to be involved in the community.”

Keynote speaker of the day was Dr. Pamela Davies, former president of Queens University. She has been heavily involved with YMCA efforts, as well as other organizations. She praised the importance for those in a position to give back to get involved with the work that it takes to make an impact.

“Sitting above others, looking down at the problems you see, that’s not how you make a difference in their lives.  You have to get off your donkey to truly understand others by supporting and lending a helping hand to make a difference for your neighbors and your communities,” Davies said.