Lake Zurich girl wants YMCA donations, not birthday gifts

You could say Tina Schroedel's comprehension of the true spirit of the season — it's better to give than to receive — far exceeds her young age.

The Lake Zurich girl, who turns 7 just before Christmas, is asking friends invited to her Dec. 11 birthday party at Central Lake YMCA in Vernon Hills not to bring presents. Instead, she's seeking donations to support youth development programs at the Lake County Family YMCA facility.

“I want to help the children at the Y, so for my birthday party I want donations for the Y, not presents for me,” Tina said.

Tina, who has grown up in the Y, came up with the idea based on the example her mother, Angie Schroedel, has set. And it's not the first such idea Tina has had.

Angie, 43, has not let her six-year battle with cancer get in the way of her true passion — nurturing and developing youth — by volunteering her time to help Lake County Family YMCA in a variety of ways.

Her dedicated service has earned her the title of YMCA ambassador and a 2011 Certificate of Appreciation from the Y. Initially diagnosed with breast cancer when Tina was 1, Angie and husband Kevin joined the Y for swim lessons, and the Y's staff quickly became family.

A few years later, Tina began following her mom's lead in giving back by running a lemonade stand, with the profits going to Lake County Family YMCA. Tina also helped Angie host a Lia Sophia fundraiser benefiting the Y at their home last May.

“Tina thrives in Central Lake,” Angie said. “The staff teaches the values the Y stands for: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Our Y is children-centered. I am very proud of Tina to want to ask friends to celebrate her birthday and give what they can to help her Y (in lieu of presents).”

Persons not receiving an invitation to Tina's Dec. 11 birthday party, but who would like to participate, can do so by making a donation to Central Lake YMCA.

Lunch will be served to the children and adults at noon. Then the kids will be able to swim and use the water slide/playground from 1 to 4 p.m. To participate, children should wear their swimsuit under their clothing and bring a towel. Parents will need to be at the pool at 4 p.m. to sign their children out.

To attend the party, RSVP by Dec. 2, if possible, to aschroedel@ymcalakecounty.org.