MICHAEL BAKER, CEO of Pet Food Experts, and his family were recently honored by the YMCA of Greater Providence for their longtime service and commitment to the Newman YMCA of Seekonk, during the organization’s second annual Y Heroes Luncheon at the R.I. Convention Center April 12. Baker, who received the award on his family’s behalf, was named the YMCA of Greater Providence’s Volunteer of the Year in 2010. He currently serves as the chairperson for the annual golf tournament named after his grandfather, George K. Baker Sr.
What led your family to become involved with the YMCA? The YMCA was a staple in the lives of my father, Buddy Baker, and grandfather, George Baker Sr. As a child, I joined them at the YMCA in Pawtucket while they played basketball with their friends. They built great relationships with the staff and other members and believed strongly in the YMCA’s mission.
In what ways did the family support the organization? My grandfather was a board member of the Greater Providence YMCA and a founding father of the Newman YMCA, raising double what was required to begin construction on the donated land in Seekonk. My father was a board member of the Greater Providence YMCA before joining the board of the Newman YMCA, supporting the organization through road races and beginning a golf tournament with his friends to raise money for the YMCA in the 1980s. Following in my family’s footsteps, I have continued on with hosting the annual golf tournament, which raises funds for the Newman YMCA’s financial-assistance program.
How much has Newman YMCA grown since your family got involved with it? This year marks the 25th consecutive year of the George K. Baker Golf Tournament to support the Newman YMCA. Each year the tournament has grown in its number of supporters and in the amount of dollars that it raises. It is my hope that it will continue to grow, so that more local youth and their families can participate in Y programs each year.
What does it mean to you to carry on the family’s legacy of giving back to the community? Giving back to the community through the YMCA helps me maintain a connection with the warm, welcoming YMCA community I was raised in. I spent my childhood attending programs at the YMCA … before eventually becoming a camp counselor. Now it is an honor to do my part to make sure that the children in the local area have the same opportunities that I did as a child with an organization that helped form who I am as a father, husband, son and member of my community.
