Karen Garrard, Kosciusko Community YMCA Board Member, Kenneth Perry, Eva Perry and Chad Zaucha, Kosciusko Community YMCA CEO. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Perry donated $25,000 to the Kosciusko Community YMCA’s Shaping the Future Capital Campaign. (Photo provided)

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Perry recently made a generous donation of $25,000 to the Kosciusko Community YMCA’s Shaping the Future Capital Campaign. Kenneth Perry wanted to make this substantial gift because of the impact using the YMCA facilities has had on his health and quality of life.

Retiring from IPFW in December 2010, Kenneth weighed 270 pounds. He decided to start exercising to extend his life, but he had arthritis so exercise was difficult. He and his wife, Eva, joined the YMCA in January of 2011 through a Silver Sneakers membership and started water walking 3 days a week, then added Silver Sneakers Yoga.

By August 2012, when he was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney, he had lost 50 pounds. The weight loss made the surgery he needed to remove the kidney possible. He wasn’t the only one who benefited, Eva also lost 50 pounds, lowered her cholesterol and reduced her risk for diabetes.

After losing an additional 30 pounds in March of 2013, Kenneth was diagnosed with liver cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy. He believes losing all the weight at the Y helped him fight through the chemo. “Exercise and the availability of the warm water pool helped save my life,” he said.

Kenneth now water walks 2 laps a minute – a mile and a half in an hour – each time he’s in. He would not be able to walk on land because of the arthritis in his knees.

Kenneth donated to the campaign to “pay it forward.” He explained, “Hopefully someone in the future will be able to take advantage of the new pool the way I have this one. If people in the past hadn’t given, it wouldn’t have been there for me.” Kenneth credits the warm water pool at the YMCA and the exercise he was able to do there with saving his life.