Community Leaders Launch $25 Million Campaign With $10M County Pledge
Officials and community leaders gathered Thursday to break ground on a new Palisades-Malibu YMCA, months after January’s wildfires destroyed the original facility.
Victor Dominguez, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, announced at the event the launch of a $25 million capital campaign to fund the project, which will restore the Via de la Paz campus and add a new facility at Simon Meadow.
The two campuses will be combined under a new name, the Lowe Family YMCA, honoring the longtime support of the Lowe family. Bob Lowe, CEO of Los Angeles–based Lowe Enterprises and a YMCA board member, has pledged a significant donation toward the effort.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents Pacific Palisades and Malibu, committed $10 million in county funding to help kick off the campaign. YMCA officials said additional support for the Via de la Paz site will come from FEMA’s Public Assistance program, while the Simon Meadow expansion will rely entirely on private donations.
The rebuilt Via de la Paz facility will replace the center lost in the fires. At the same time, Simon Meadow will feature permanent indoor-outdoor spaces and expanded programming designed to serve more families.
