A recent gathering of flannel didn't happen at a lumberjack convention, a midwestern incursion or the like. 

It happened because Wareham residents—around 150 of them—turned out to support their local YMCA. 

The Gleason Family YMCA held its annual fundraiser at the Stone Path Malt Taproom on Thursday, Oct. 5. The theme was "friends in flannel," and the event's attendees followed it to a t. 

The event raised over $20,000 for the YMCA, said Executive Director Debbie Fringuelli. 

Fringuelli added, "It was our best financial year yet for this event… all because of sponsors, donors, [and] local and regional businesses' support accompanied by an excellent turnout of guests."

The band Paradise Flyer accompanied the evening's festivities. 

Businesses turned out to support the event "from Rhode Island to the Cape," said Fringuelli. They provided items and experiences for the evening's silent auction and raffles. 

The Gleason Family YMCA has a $190,000 fundraising goal for this year’s campaign. The money goes to help the local community, including to sponsor people who cannot otherwise afford the YMCA’s memberships or summer camp programs.

Events like this fundraiser help with getting the YMCA toward that goal—financially, but also in other ways. 

According to Fringuelli, events like this help bolster people’s awareness of the YMCA. She added they bring together all sorts of people, from members to non-members to people who found their way to the YMCA once before and now are returning.