Since 1960, these principles have guided legacy donor Arlo Pannkuk’s service with the YMCA.

“Growing up on a farm in northern Iowa, there were no YMCAs,” he recalled. “When I moved to Minneapolis, my brother-in-law invited me to a Y’s Men’s Club (later changed to Y Service Club).”

Arlo admits he didn’t act on the invitation at first, but with the holidays fast approaching, he soon found himself bundled up against the December cold, volunteering at the Christmas Tree Lot at the former Hiawatha Y in South Minneapolis. “That was my first involvement, and then everything progressed from there,” he reflected.

Over the next 65 years, Arlo served as a Y Men’s Club district governor in the Minneapolis area, then the Regional director of the North-Central Region, and later as the U.S. area president while serving on the International Council of the Y Service Organization. This took him to multiple countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia, where he witnessed the YMCA’s mission abroad. Arlo’s wife, Janice, was also active in the club’s activities and later chose to officially join the Y Service Club and served alongside him for 22 years.

Service and care for the Y were central to Arlo and Janice, reflected in nearly 30 years of generous giving. “I give to the YMCA because of what I see the Y doing to help people in the community. Particularly for me, the focus is on youth, but I also see what the Y does for adults. The Y serves a full range of people of all ages, and that’s wonderful,” said Arlo.

Arlo has also named the Y as a beneficiary in his trust so that upon his passing, additional funds will continue to support the programs he and Janice have nurtured throughout their lives.

In 2023, Arlo and his five children lost beloved wife and mother, Janice. The following year, Arlo honored her legacy by establishing the Janice and Arlo Pannkuk Memorial Endowment Fund, supporting youth development at the Blaisdell and Burnsville Ys for generations to come. “I wanted to do something to recognize Janice,” shared Arlo.

Today, Arlo remains a proud member of the Hiawatha Y Service Club, one of the three remaining clubs in the North-Central Region. As he reflected on the legacy he hopes to leave, he added, “I hope that the community will feel and see the Y values and the successes of what the YMCA is doing for the people. I would encourage any support that can be provided to the Y as a very useful way of helping the community.”