(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – Representatives of The MEMIC Group, specialists in workforce safety, joined officials of the YMCA of Greater Rochester on Tuesday, Dec. 6, to donate 100 pairs of ice cleats to the nonprofit as it prepared for its winter season.

Officials at MEMIC, which has supplied safety consulting and workers’ compensation insurance to the YMCA of Greater Rochester since 2021, said the gift was made in the spirit of partnership to help the YMCA keep its members and staff safe on slippery surfaces with the inevitable onset of winter weather.

“Rochester winters can be tough, and our top priority is keeping our staff safe when working outside,” YMCA of Greater Rochester Vice President of Risk Management Jason Letendre said. “The gift of these ice cleats will be that extra layer of safety for our staff, and we are incredibly grateful for MEMIC’s partnership and support.”

“It’s the holiday season, but this gift will endure long after the new year,” MEMIC Vice President of Loss Control & Safety Services Maryann Hoff said. “We value being a partner, and we want to see the YMCA continue to protect their staff and members as much as possible from these preventable, costly, and very severe slip-and-fall injuries.”

Ice cleats given to the YMCA of Greater Rochester cost about $24 per pair at retail. “It’s an investment we find can have a big impact, when you consider how costly it can be to have even one claim from a head injury,” Hoff said. “It’s a very worthy safety investment.”

Letendre and Westside Family YMCA Director of Buildings & Grounds Irv Hunt were presented with the ice cleats -- joined by MEMIC Senior Production Underwriter Beth Austerman, MEMIC Safety Management Consultant Randy Morehouse, Brown & Brown Commercial Lines Sales Leader Tarek Eldaher, and members of the YMCA of Greater Rochester community – at the Westside Family YMCA, 920 Elmgrove Road.

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About MEMIC
The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Company, MEMIC Casualty Company, and parent company Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company; all rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. The MEMIC Group holds licenses to write workers’ compensation across the entire country. The group insures and serves more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees with dedicated safety and injury management service teams from Maine to Florida.