Father honors son with YMCA gift

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Northumberland County resident Earl Withers was looking for a fitting way to memorialize his two sons, Gary and Sonny Withers, when he heard about the Northumberland County Family YMCA’s Capital Campaign, with the goal of building a state of the art facility for county residents.

FAMILY GIFT – Earl Withers, at right, of Northumberland County, shares a light moment with his family after pledging $50,000 to the Northumberland Family YMCA project in memory of his two sons. Also pictured are Withers’ grand-daughter Angie Dawson and great grand-daughter Casay Dawson. The YMCA’s multi-purpose room will be named for the late Gary Withers (framed photo at left) and Sonny Withers.

“It’s a worthwhile project and I wanted to be part of it,” he said.

Withers has made a pledge of $50,000 toward the $3.6 million goal, and will name the facility’s multi-purpose room in memory of Gary and Sonny.

“Gary and Sonny always had very different personalities, so putting their names on the multi-purpose room makes a lot of sense,” he laughed.

Besides providing a lasting tribute to his two sons, Withers’ gift will also benefit other members of his family. His granddaughter Angie Dawson looks forward to taking advantage of the YMCA’s many new adult programs that will be possible with the new facility. And his great-granddaughter, Casay Dawson, will grow up with the countless programs for children and teens.

Withers operated a sawmill in the Village area for many years, and both Gary and Sonny worked in the business with their father. He remembers that as they were growing up, they had fewer options when it came to organized and structured activities.

“This new YMCA will be a good thing for the children,” he said.

“Our committee was deeply touched by Earl’s generous gift and the way in which he chose to provide a lasting memorial to Gary and Sonny,” said Betty Hall, Chairman of the Northumberland YMCA’s Capital Campaign Committee. “We’re thrilled to be able to provide a means for him to make this statement.”

As the name implies, the multi-purpose room will play a number of roles in the new 22,000 square foot facility, which will be housed in the present Northumberland High School gymnasium, once the school moves to its new location and the building undergoes a renovation. It will, among other things, provide a much-needed meeting place for groups in the community.


Others who would like to make a gift can contact Hall at her office in Burgess, 804-453-3701, or can get in touch with Cristian Shirilla at the YMCA office in Heathsville 804-580-4116 or 580-8901.

More information about the new facility, including architectural drawings, can be found online by going to www.NorthernNeckToday.com and clicking on the Northumberland YMCA icon at the top of the page.

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