The McArthur YMCA board of directors and First Coast YMCA leadership team members humbly accepted an extraordinary financial gift from Betty Berkman in August. When Berkman learned about plans to expand youth programs at the McArthur Family YMCA had been on hold for a number of years, she knew she had an opportunity to honor her late husband as another example of David Berkman’s commitment to serve children, families and the community he loved.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, at 1 p.m., the McArthur Family YMCA, located at 1915 Citrona Drive in Fernandina Beach, is honoring the Berkmans’ continued benevolence to Fernandina Beach by dedicating the gymnasium to the memory and legacy of David Berkman.
The public is invited to join the McArthur Family YMCA for the dedication of the gymnasium, to be named the David Berkman Memorial Gym.
“Once in a while comes someone that cares deeply about children and exemplifies the true character values of the YMCA: honesty, respect, responsibility and caring. David Berkman definitely was that person, and we are blessed as a community to not only benefit from the impact he has had here at the Y, but in Fernandina Beach and the Jacksonville community,” said Cezar Gonzalez, YMCA district executive director of the McArthur Family YMCA and YMCA at Wildlight. “Honoring David in this way is just a small token of what he has meant to us.”
Betty and David Berkman were married for 68 years. David Berkman died on Sept. 3, 2021, after a courageous 10-year battle with lung cancer. For more than 60 years, he built an extremely successful real estate business in the Southeast. With his success, he believed in giving back. He was a generous donor and saw giving back as an opportunity to do something meaningful for the community he had grown to love as his home.
“I have known Betty for years, and a kinder woman or couple you could not find. At every dedication, her eyes are bright and smiling with the admiration and love for David. She wants no recognition for herself and is happy when it involves something meaningful like involving kids and senior citizens. She is the most selfless person I have ever met,” said Barb Gingher, YMCA board member.
The McArthur Family YMCA has more than 3,000 members and provides a variety of community programs and services. These include learning to swim, safety around water, summer camp, basketball and volleyball, day care, afterschool programs, Live Strong cancer survivor program and stroke rehabilitative programs. The Y never turns away families because of finances. More than half of its members are subsidized by annual member fundraising campaigns.
“There couldn't be a better way to commemorate David Berkman's love of kids than to have a gymnasium full of children day in and day out, year after year, in a facility named after him,” said board member Bob Tetu.
The McArthur Family YMCA has not only grown in size over the years but also in impact. It’s clear the vision to expand is not just about constructing new facilities; it’s about the power of collective vision, dedication and the unwavering belief in the potential of a community united in its pursuit of healthy living, youth development and social responsibility.
“In my opinion, the gym dedication is one of a few major milestones in the history of our McArthur YMCA branch,” said Ray Cline, YMCA board member. “From very humble beginnings in the 1980s with no facility, to the construction of the current complex in 1998, the Y has grown and thrived.”
“The Berkmans’ generosity helps jump-start a newly launched capital campaign to expand and upgrade the facility to better serve our growing community,” continued Cline. “With the Berkman donation, the expansion and capital campaign plans presently coming together, I believe the best is yet to come.”
tdishman@fbnewsleader.com