For the Rev. Dr. William “Bill” Enright, the YMCA has never simply been an organization he served. It has been part of his life from the beginning.
“I’m a YMCA kid,” Enright says.
Bill Enright: A Lifelong Connection to the YMCA
Growing up in Peoria, Ill., the Y was where he learned to swim, played basketball and discovered leadership. He participated in a junior leadership program, worked with children in day camps and eventually became director of a YMCA summer day camp. When he later moved to Indianapolis, his connection to the Y continued as a member of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Board of Directors.
That lifelong commitment to service is why the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis is proud to honor Enright with the James L. Kittle Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest volunteer honor presented by the organization. The award recognizes people whose leadership, service and commitment have made an extraordinary difference for the YMCA and the community.
A Legacy of Leadership and Service
Enright’s influence has extended far beyond the Y. He served for 23 years as senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis and later became the founding director of Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Those who know him describe a leader who combines wisdom with warmth. In the award video, colleagues remember his sense of humor, his encouragement and his instinct to ask how he can help. One YMCA leader recalled that when Enright was recruited to chair a board committee, leaders believed he could accomplish in one year what others might need three years to do.
A Personal Connection to James L. Kittle
The Kittle Award also carries a deeply personal connection.
James L. Kittle Sr. was a member of Enright’s congregation and helped encourage his YMCA involvement. Enright recalls Kittle asking about his interests, recognizing his lifelong connection to the Y and helping open the door to board service.
“The next thing I know, I’m on the board of the Greater Indianapolis YMCA,” Enright said.
That history makes receiving an award bearing Kittle’s name especially meaningful.
“I’m here because of my friend Jim Kittle, and that makes it a most significant honor,” Enright said.
Finding Meaning and Purpose Through Service
At the heart of Enright’s story is a belief that service changes both communities and the people who serve them.
“You will grow. It will broaden your horizons and you’re not just living for yourself then, you’re living for others, which is where one finds, I think, meaning and purpose in life,” he said.
It is a philosophy closely aligned with the YMCA’s mission — bringing people together, strengthening communities and creating places where people can belong.
For Enright, that sense of belonging remains one of the Y’s most important roles. He describes the YMCA as a place that can welcome people from many backgrounds and cultures and serve as “a haven, a safe place for all of those people.”
As one tribute in the video says, “A movement is known by the quality of the people it honors.”
By honoring Bill Enright, the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis celebrates not only a remarkable volunteer leader, but a lifetime spent helping others flourish through service.