From a Simple Ribbon to a Lasting Legacy
When Wilma DiManna looks at the swim ribbon tucked safely inside one of her scrapbooks, it appears remarkably untouched by time. Awarded during a YMCA swim meet in December 1975, the third-place ribbon was never really about where she finished. It represented something much bigger: a place where a young girl felt welcomed, encouraged and like she belonged.
Wilma treasured that ribbon enough to display it on her childhood dresser, and then through decades of moves, career changes and family milestones. And she carried what the YMCA gave her, too.
Long before she became a banking executive, YMCA volunteer, YMCA employee and, now, legacy donor, she was Wilma Bailey, a young girl growing up in Niles who found something she deeply needed inside the walls of the Niles-Buchanan YMCA—a sense of belonging.
That experience would stay with her for a lifetime, and ultimately inspire her to make sure other children have the opportunity to find the same.
A Place Where She Finally Felt She Belonged
Wilma’s family settled in Niles after her father retired from the Air Force. Like many children, she carried challenges that weren’t always visible to those around her. Then, as a sixth grader, her elementary school participated in YMCA swim lessons.
She remembers the excitement of climbing onto the bus with a swimsuit in hand, not fully knowing where she was going—only that she would get to move, swim and be active. What she didn’t know then was that those lessons would change her life. After the school program ended, her father enrolled her on the YMCA swim team. There, caring instructors and coaches saw something in her.
“They took an interest in me in a very positive way,” Wilma recalled. “That sparked something in me. It made me feel like I belonged somewhere.” For a child navigating difficulties at home, that feeling mattered. “It was the first road that helped me see beyond what was going on in my home life.”
More Than a Ribbon
Wilma laughs today when she points out that only three swimmers competed in her event. She doesn’t care. The ribbon became a reminder, not of winning a race, but of the people who believed in her; and, most importantly, believing in herself.
“My life could have turned out very differently,” she said. “I give the credit to the Y staff, those instructors and the swim coach. They opened my world.” That experience stayed with her long after she left Niles.
Wilma attended college, built a successful 20-year career in corporate banking and lived in several different states. Yet one thing never changed. Whenever she shared her story, she found herself talking about the YMCA in Niles.
When her children were growing up, they attended YMCA summer camps, after-school programs and youth sports. Later, while advancing professionally, she was encouraged to serve on a nonprofit board. She didn’t hesitate. “I immediately asked if I could join the YMCA board.”
That decision led her to the YMCA of Greater Toledo, where she first served as a volunteer before eventually joining the staff as Vice President of Membership and Marketing. There she spent years helping strengthen the mission she had first experienced as a child.
A Mission That Never Left Her Heart
During those years, Wilma developed a close friendship with Casey Holck, now Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the YMCA of Greater Toledo. Casey watched firsthand as Wilma’s passion shaped everything she did: “I could tell how urgent the situation was by the clicks of her feet coming down the hallway,” Casey joked. “But then I realized…I don’t remember a slow click.” Behind the humor was admiration. “Wilma lives life with urgency. She has high expectations for organizations she supports because she’s motivated by serving the community and getting better every day.”
Even after retiring from the YMCA, those conversations about serving others never stopped. As the YMCA celebrates 175 years of strengthening communities, Wilma and her husband, David, found themselves reflecting on everything the organization had meant to their family. They decided it was time to give back in a permanent way.
After thoughtful conversations and much prayerful consideration, they established a legacy gift benefiting the Lucille B. Cole Endowment—a fund dedicated to expanding opportunities for youth and families. For Wilma, the decision felt deeply personal. “I was one of those youth,” she said.
Her hope is simple: that another child walking through the YMCA doors will discover the same sense of belonging that transformed her own life. Asked what she would say to a child walking into the YMCA for the very first time, Wilma didn’t hesitate: “You’re here to have fun; you’re accepted by all; and when you walk out those doors, we want you to remember that feeling every time you come back.” For Wilma, that feeling has lasted more than 50 years. A little ribbon still reminds her where it all began. A legacy gift will ensure countless other children discover where their own stories can begin.
