Rob Hale thanks YMCA for teaching resiliency, humility as Quincy branch renamed in his honor
QUINCY – When Rob Hale was a kid growing up in North Hampton, he jokes that his mother Judy, aka "Nana," used the local YMCA as "babysitting service."
"When I would be home for a week or two, Nana would drop me off at the Y with, like, five bucks and say 'There's a Burger King around the corner for lunch, have fun, I'll pick you up around 4:30," Hale said with a laugh. "Now I look back through the lens of a parent and I think, 'That was the cheapest babysitting in the history of babysitting.'"
But over the years of playing basketball, lifting weights and having a "delightful time," Hale said the organization also taught him resiliency, compassion and humility – not to mention how to swim.
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On Thursday, Hale, now a CEO named to the Forbes World's Billionaires List, stood proudly beside his wife, Karen, as the Quincy YMCA branch was renamed in their honor. The Hales recently gave $3 million to the Quincy Y, bringing their total donations to the branch to about $5 million. They've also donated to other branches of the South Shore YMCA.
"Our community is diverse in many ways: age, race, gender, capabilities. And that's what the YMCA brings together. Everybody is welcome at this YMCA, and everybody is safe at this YMCA," Hale said. "The Quincy YMCA is home to so many who need a home... Karen and I are honored, we're humbled, to be part of your family."
Thursday's rededication ceremony brought Gov. Charlie Baker and his wife Lauren, Mayor Thomas Koch and his wife Christine and a half-dozen other state and local officials to the Quincy Y. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 26.
On the outside of the building, a brand new sign reads "Hale Family YMCA."
A new sign inside the building thanks some of the largest donors to the South Shore YMCA, which includes the Emilson Branch in Hanover, the Germantown Neighborhood Center in Quincy and the South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell. The Hale family is the only one listed in the "Champion" category, reserved for those who have donated $5 million or more.
Baker, who wore a yellow tie with a pattern of giraffes playing basketball, praised the organization for its commitment to normalcy in the lives of children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The Y has been here for 130 years, and it doesn't happen just on its own or with the fees that we charge. It happens because of volunteer hours and donations," Paul Gorman, CEO of the South Shore YMCA, said.
The Hale family is known nationwide for philanthropy efforts, specifically related to cancer research organizations. Hale's company, Granite Telecommunications, annually hosts the “Saving by Shaving” fundraising event for employees, which raises millions for Dana-Farber each year.
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Koch, a local history buff, likened Hale's work in the community to that of John Hancock. The mayor said Hancock is most commonly known as the state's first governor and a signer of the declaration of independence, but he was also a fierce community leader who successfully ran a corporation and took care of those in need.
"He was the most generous, charitable guy in the colonies. Anyone in need in Boston, they were taken care of by John Hancock," Koch said. "Rob, his wife Karen, his mother Judy, have given back continuously. They never say no... He shares his wealth, he shares that spirit."
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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy YMCA renamed for Hale family after $5 million donation
