YWCA of Alliance Celebrating 100 Years with Optimism and Events
The YWCA of Alliance celebrates its 100th anniversary on May 21, 2026, with an open house at 239 E. Market St. Carli Beckett
- CB Photography
ALLIANCE ‒ Reaching 100 years is a remarkable milestone for any nonprofit, as funding sources and community needs change.
In May, the YWCA of Alliance marked a century of service to the community and has events planned to celebrate the milestone until late November.
Here's the list of public events:
June 20 - Participate in Juneteenth Parade and Community Celebration. Parade starts 12:30 p.m. at Maple Beach Park and ends at Thompson-Snodgrass Park, the site of a celebration.
July 16 - Christmas in July at 8 p.m. at Don Pancho's Tex Mex Cafe, 2105 W. State St. Collection boxes will be placed at businesses throughout town requesting donations of toys in July for Christmas. The event is a chance for people to donate at the restaurant.
July 31 - The 31st annual YWCA Alliance Golf Scramble at 9 a.m. at Tannenhauf Golf Club in Lexington Township. It is a four-person Florida scramble. Play is $90 per person, and the deadline to register is July 15.
Aug. 5-8 - Participate with a booth at Days in the Park in Silver Park, during the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival.
Sept. 10 - Trivia Night 2.0 at Don Pancho's. More details to come.
Oct. 3 - Unity Walk. More details to come.
Oct. 24 - Trunk or Treat/Fall Festival. More details to come
Nov. 19 - 100th Celebration and Award Event at Alliance Country Club. More details to come.
The YWCA of Alliance also will have Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 12; Christmas Outreach, Dec. 15-16; and Gifts from the Heart, Dec. 17-18. More details will come at a later date.
Executive Director Lori Wemhoff said the celebration started May 21 with an open house at 239 E. Market St. Local and state officials, including Mayor Andy Grove and State Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-North Canton, attended the event.
"The Alliance YWCA is a vital community pillar that has served women, children and families of our community for 100 years," Grove said. "It has provided safety, childcare and job training while fighting for gender equality and racial justice."
"It was a great event. I was so pleased," Wemhoff said. "You just never know how many people are going to show up."
The YWCA of Alliance also celebrated the 35th anniversary of its Fashion Boutique with a fashion show June 6 at The Commons. The clothing store has casual and professional attire for women and men at extreme discounts − $5 or lower − to help individuals obtain and maintain employment.
The YWCA of Alliance also manages the local Meals on Wheels program, offers transitional housing for women and families, and strives to eliminate racism. It currently is housing 10 adults and three children.
Wemhoff, who started in her position in January, said she believes the YWCA of Alliance is headed in the right direction after a couple wayward years, and she feels the community support.
"I'm very optimistic about the future," she said. "The board is very strong and very supportive. I tell the team every day, we make a little bit of progress every day and we're moving in the right direction. It's just a team of four and me."
Alliance's Mayor Andy Grove said he sees the value of the local agency.
The YWCA of Alliance "continues to serve a major service in giving people the tools and confidence they need to get back on their feet," he said.
Benjamin Duer - Canton Repository
Published June 16, 2026, 5:55 a.m. ET
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.
