HUNTSVILLE – Heart of the Valley YMCA is joining forces with Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurants in Huntsville and Madison for the ninth annual March Month of Giving campaign to fund local charities.

During the month of March, customers can make a donation of $1, $3 or $5 to the Heart of the Valley YMCA SPLASH Swim Initiative at Jersey Mike’s restaurants when they purchase a delicious sub sandwich meal. Patrons may visit ymcahuntsville.org/monthofgiving or Heart of the Valley YMCA on Facebook to download money-saving coupons to Jersey Mike’s.

The campaign will culminate in Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving on Wednesday, March 27, when local Jersey Mike’s restaurants will give 100 percent of the day’s sales – not just profit – to help prevent drowning deaths in Tennessee Valley children.

“Last year’s nationwide Month of Giving initiative raised more than $6 million for charities making a big difference in their local communities, and this year, we hope to raise even more,” said Peter Cancro, Jersey Mike’s founder and CEO.

The Heart of the Valley YMCA is a 501(c)(3) community organization with the charitable mission to provide programs and membership to all regardless of their ability to pay a full fee. The Y’s SPLASH initiative provides free or low-cost swim lessons to children from under-resourced households as well as free swim education to every third-grader in Madison public schools.

In 2018, the Y provided 1,600 swim lessons and gave back $14,000 in fee assistance for swim lessons.

“On average, two children die every day because of drowning, and African-American children are three times more likely to die of drowning than their white peers,” said Jessica Luther, Heart of the Valley YMCA Director of Annual Giving. “Drowning deaths are 100-percent preventable, and the YMCA believes in the positive power of water safety education to save lives.”

Heart of the Valley YMCA gave back more than $1.1 million in fee assistance for membership and programs to the community in 2018. For more information about Heart of the Valley YMCA’s charitable mission, visit ymcahuntsville.org/GIVE.