The Greater Pittston YMCA’s revitalized gym floor has been completed for all members to use. The Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund contributed $12,500 to the refurbishment of the floor.
Shown in the photo are the late Jimmy Balchune’s father James Balchune and grandmother Lois Balchune standing next to the plaque that will hang in perpetuity at the Greater Pittston YMCA gym.
Family members were on hand to witness the plaque dediction to the late Jimmy Balchune. The Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund donated $12,500 to the Greater Pittston YMCA to revitalize the gym floor. Shown left to right: Kevin O’ Boyle and son (YMCA Board Member), Jennifer Water (cousin), Shannon Balchune (sister-in-law), Matt Balchune (cousin), Lois Balchune (grandmother), Jimmy Balchune (father), Jarred Balchune (brother), Jeff Waters and son Mason (cousin), Billy Waters and son Liam (cousin), Brandon Balchune (cousin), and Jeremy Poppiel (YMCA director). Absent from photo: Balchune board members Brittany Bomber (cousin) and Jason Balchune (brother).
Greater Pittston YMCA Director Jeremy Popiel, right, aids Jarred Balchune in removing the covering of the Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund plaque honoring Balchune and recognizing the foundation for donating $12,500 towards the YMCA’s gym floor revitalization.
To honor the late Jimmy Balchune and the Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund, this plaque will hang in the gym for all time.
PITTSTON – They Greater Pittston YMCA held a dedication to the late Jimmy Balchune and the Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund for the foundation’s donation to revitalize the gym floor.
The dedication took place before approximately 150 people at the gym between two youth basketball leagues.
The Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund was created after the untimely death of Balchune in 2020 at the age of 39 leaving a wife and two children.
Family members and friends decided they would like to create scholarship fund in order to help Balchune’s two children Logan and Mia to further their education.
Jimmy’s widow Amy said the money should go back into the community.
“We will have our fourth anniversary of the foundation on June 29,” Jeff Waters, a Balchune foundation member, said. “Originally, we wanted to start a scholarship fund for his children and we ran it by his wife, and as much as we thought it was a great idea, she would rather have us do something for the community.”
Waters said the first year of the memorial fund; they donated to the Duryea Wildcats because Balchune and Waters and other family and friends played for the Wildcats.
“The second year, we donated to the Greater Pittston Santa Squad (GPSS),” Waters continued. “That was a no-brainer because we all love children.”
This year’s cause was the Greater Pittston YMCA for the gym floor revitalization.
The floor was sanded down removing decades of finishes. Once sanded, new lines for several sports were laid down including basketball and pickleball.
According to Jeremy Popiel, YMCA director, the total cost to redo the gym floor was $30,000.
“Getting that money from the Balchunes was huge. It helped fund nearly 50% of the total project,” Popiel said. “We were lucky enough to find out about the Balchune grant and then apply for it, then be awarded the $10,000 for the gym floor. When we honored them at the YMCA’s Spirit of the Community Awards dinner, they gave us another $2,500 from their fund to go towards the gym floor and to use on program costs. There’s no way we would have been able to do the gym floor project if it wasn’t for the Balchunes.”
The Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund donated a total of $10,000 to the YMCA and because the foundation raised more money then usual, they gave the YMCA an additional $2,500 also donated $2,500 to the GPSS.
“We all grew up there,” Waters added. “Whenever there was a snow day or any kind of free time, we all went to the YMCA to play basketball there. Giving the money away doesn’t necessarily we personally did but something Jimmy would have been happy with.”
Waters said Balchune was a guy that loved to help people and was always there when needed.
If you would like to donate to the Jimmy Balchune Memorial Fund contact the foundation by email to: LTNFJB@gmail.com or online through the Luzerne Foundation at: http://tinyurl.com/zr33dpfe.
