Skagit YMCA recognized by American Red Cross for community safety training courses

The Skagit Valley Family YMCA has been recognized for their dedication to lifesaving training efforts in 2021 by the American Red Cross. 

In 2021, the Skagit Y was the 265^th largest training provider across the nation in the First Responder and Public Safety division, issuing 311 certifications. There are over 4,000 training agencies in this division, so the Y was in the top 10% of the nation. Additionally, the Skagit Y is one of only three Washington State YMCAs to achieve this benchmark (YMCA of the Inland Northwest and YMCA of Walla Walla are the other two). 

“Thank you to the [Skagit YMCA] team for all that you do,” says Tatyana Kiselyov, the Regional Safety Training Account Manager. “Your team has immensely increased your training programs and lifesaving education over the last 12 months, and because of this your greater community is better prepared to handle an emergency situation they may encounter throughout their daily lives and workplaces.” 

The Y offers a variety of community safety classes in partnership with the Red Cross, including adult and pediatric First Aid, CPR, Basic Life Support, Babysitting, Lifeguard training, instructor classes, and more. Classes are taught by Shawna Macauley, Jenn Radford, and Kurt Von Pessler. 

“Our Y strives to be a community where Skagit County residents can find more than a gym and pool,” Justin Davies, the Y’s Aquatics and Risk & Safety Director, shares. “Our partnership with the Red Cross had been extremely valuable in providing these lifesaving classes. We are delighted to have achieved this recognition but are even more proud of our Skagit family that has engaged with us and sought out these trainings and certifications.” 

The majority of the Y’s Red Cross courses are taught by Shawna Macauley. “Training is my passion; I started with the American Red Cross in 1997,” Macauley shares. “As both an instructor and instructor trainer, I am proud of the quality of courses offered, the detail to proficiency and robust inclusion the Red Cross creates in their multiple curriculums. I am privileged to have teamed up with the Skagit Valley Family YMCA, initially in aquatics, and now in a multitude of community and health care provider training opportunities. Together with the YMCA our Red Cross students have saved lives.” 

To see upcoming classes being taught at the Y, please visit this link.