A.W.A.Y. means "Always Welcome at YMCAs."
The A.W.A.Y. program is based on the philosophy that when a person enrolls in a YMCA, he or she becomes a member of a nationwide association of people that helps build strong kids, strong families and strong communities, and, therefore, when away from home, on business or vacation, will be warmly welcomed by all other participating YMCAs in the United States. A YMCA's participation in this program is voluntary. Some restrictions apply.
Because each local YMCA sets its own policies, each participating YMCA in the A.W.A.Y. program develops its own local restrictions. Many participating YMCAs have no restrictions on visiting Y members. Restrictions may include "visits by members of YMCAs within 50 miles are limited to three per month," "visiting members may only use the facility at certain hours," "visiting members will be charged half the guest fee," or "visiting Y members are restricted to a limited number of visits each year.