Tom Scifres' Y Origin Story

Sometimes a community legacy begins with something simple, like signing kids up for soccer at the county fair.

Tom Scifres’ Y Origin Story begins before the Washington County Family YMCA building even existed.

At the time the YMCA was being planned, Tom and his wife Kim were not living in Salem. They had talked about moving back so Tom could open his law office, but several factors made the decision difficult. One of those reasons was the lack of an organized soccer program for their children.

Then Tom received a call from his father with exciting news.

“I have great news!” The new YMCA was starting a youth soccer program.

In July of 2001, Tom’s father, Paul Scifres, attended the Washington County Fair and signed Tom’s children up to play in the new YMCA soccer program. Several hundred kids registered for the first fall soccer season that year, marking the beginning of what would become one of the YMCA’s most beloved youth programs.

What began as a grandfather signing his grandchildren up for soccer would become the start of Tom’s deeper involvement with the YMCA and its mission in Washington County.

Launching the program required tremendous volunteer effort. YMCA board members and volunteers spent countless hours preparing fields, coaching practices and games, and supporting the program however it was needed.

When asked what is one memory from his time at the Y that he will never forget, Tom recalls working alongside fellow volunteer Chad Brough preparing the soccer fields before the season began.

“Filling holes in the field with topsoil with Chad Brough to prevent injuries.”

Around that same time, Tom deepened his involvement with the YMCA by joining the Board of Directors in November of 2001.

During his time on the board, Tom helped expand soccer opportunities even further. After responding to a solicitation from Challenger Sports, he helped bring their British Soccer Camps to Salem.

“Sometime around my third year on the Board, I responded to a solicitation from Challenger Sports to offer their ‘British Soccer Camps’ in Salem. Our first year of camps, they sent two British coaches to Salem, who were hosted at our home (Tom and Kim Scifres) and the home of Dr. Jon Noel and Kristi Noel.”

Seventy-two children participated in the first year of British Soccer Camp, helping grow excitement and opportunity for youth soccer in Washington County.

Tom’s leadership with the YMCA continued to grow. After some time serving on the Board of Directors, he stepped away to focus on family and work. However, the YMCA’s mission remained close to his heart.

In 2005, Ernie Gravatt, then President of the Board, encouraged Tom to return as Vice President.

Tom recalls, “Understanding the Y’s impact, I made the decision to join as Vice President.”

Later that year, Ernie sadly passed away, and Tom stepped into the role of President of the Board during a pivotal time for the YMCA.

During his leadership, Tom played a key role in helping secure funding for the YMCA’s current facility on Shelby Street. He worked alongside fellow board member and architect John Hawkins to write a grant proposal for the Ogle Foundation, with assistance from Dr. Gene Hedrick.

Tom remembers the dedication that went into writing the proposal.

“Writing the grant took a great deal of time and research. We knew the YMCA was a great need for the community and I wanted the proposal to be perfect.”

That effort helped make the YMCA facility possible. With a $500,000 grant from the Washington County Community Foundation, a $400,000 grant from the Ogle Foundation, and local matching funds, the YMCA was able to construct the facility that continues to serve families today.

Tom also remembers how additional partnerships strengthened the project.

“Additionally, contributions from the CAPE grant (for the Learning Center) and the City of Salem (for the Senior Center) allowed us to build the facility that included those two entities.”