We patterned our program after Minnesota's. They have 800 to 1,000 kids in it. Last year, Iowa had about 75 participants - about 10 from Waukee.

This campaign is also to educate the community that this is here. People who may not think they can afford to participate (in the YMCA's activities) can because of this campaign.

The YMCA does not exclude people who want to participate in programs, but who cannot pay full price.

We'd love to get to a place where we're raising as much as we're giving out.

It's a great college resume builder, too, I'd imagine.

It took everything we had, and our kids knew that coming in. We respected them, and we're just glad to get by them.