Dear YMCALI Family,
April is here and Spring has finally arrived after a very long winter! Spring is a time when we awaken ourselves; a time of renewal, rejuvenation, and hope. While we spent much of the last month getting through the many Nor’easters that Long Island was impacted by, we also shared time with friends and family around the holidays, allowing us to truly value the importance of health, happiness and togetherness.
I am overjoyed to welcome you to the first installment of “Catching Up with Anne”. This new blog format will help me to share information with all of you about the unique ways that the Y focuses on programs and services that nurture youth development, fosters healthy living, and inspires social responsibility.
I hope you find this blog informative and enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it.
Gratefully,
Anne N. Brigis
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Summer Day Camp is Right Around the Corner
The countdown to Summer 2018 begins…just 74 days until the start of YMCA Summer Day Camp! As we begin to wrap up the school year, thoughts of summer dance in our heads. Our Y family has been busy gearing up for camp the entire year since we last said farewell to our fellow campers. At the Y, we constantly strive to create an environment where every child has the opportunity for fun, friendships, learning, and belonging. Registration is still open for YMCA Summer Day Camp so we hope your child joins us this summer where they will discover how to truly BE AMAZING. Running, jumping, splashing, making new friends, and exploring new adventures! Click here for more information about our YMCA Summer Day Camp.
Want to take a peak for yourself? Check out our camp video, visit us online, give us a call at 855-2YMCALI or stop by the Y to learn more and register. We can’t wait to see so many smiling faces on June 25th for the first day of camp.
100th Day of School
Last month, YMCA preschoolers celebrated their 100th day of school. At our Glen Cove Y location, many of them even dressed up as 100-year olds.
Seeing photos like this reminds of why I started working at the Y. Providing opportunities for children to learn, grow, and thrive is exactly what happens when we teach children about the Y’s core values of Honesty, Caring, Responsibility, and Respect, along with age-appropriate curriculum to prepare children for Kindergarten.
Don’t forget that it’s also time to register for the 2018-2019 school year at all of our Y locations. Call to schedule a tour or register today.
Healthy Kids Day 2018
Healthy Kids Day marks our official start of summer! Mark your calendars on April 21st for Healthy Kids Day 2018! Sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, the YMCA will hold events at five of our locations including Bay Shore, East Hampton, Glen Cove, Huntington and Patchogue. It will be a fun-filled day with healthy activities, games, sports, arts & crafts, giveaways and so much more! Healthy Kids Day is FREE and open to the public. We are so thankful for Bethpage Federal Credit Union’s for their continued generosity, support, and passion about the Ys mission.
April is also Child Abuse Prevention Month. Child sexual abuse is one of the most prevalent, most hidden risks that kids in our communities face. Did you know that 1 in 10 children in the U.S. will be sexually abused before they turn 18? The YMCA of Long Island has joined forces with other YMCAs across the country, Darkness to Light, The Redwoods Group Foundation, and Praesidium, to launch a week of action to raise awareness and inspire adults and families to take action to protect children from sexual abuse. Our 5 DAYS OF ACTION campaign will launch on April 16th and culminate on Saturday, April 21st Healthy Kids Day, empowering our communities to learn more, step up and speak out for the protection of every child. At the Y, we commit to doing everything we can to keep all children safe. We will be asking community members to participate by sharing ways they will commit to protecting children.
I hope to see you and your families at Healthy Kids Day 2018 for a day of fun, learning and creating lifelong healthy habits.
HEALTHY LIVING
March is National Nutritional Month
Did you know that March was National Nutritional Month? To celebrate, our Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Marina Bedrossian, shared tips, recipes and ideas to ensure we are getting the most of our food choices.
Working Out is Better Together
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We all know that staying fit and exercising is important. We also know that staying motivated to work out on a regular basis can be hard. That’s why finding a good workout buddy is one of the smartest fitness moves you can make. This past month, we were pleased to hear so many stories of buddies working out together. One such member was challenged by our membership team to make a buddy at the Y during her one-week trial. She gladly accepted the challenge and introduced herself at the various classes she attended. By the end of the week, not only did she sign up for a membership, she was scheduling classes with her new workout buddy!
Do you have a story like this? We’d love to hear about it. Email us at webteam@ymcali.org.
Read the blog post on why it’s better to workout together.
Tri Training
One hundred members started the month of March a lazyman and ended an Ironman by completing a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run last month. Some of those Ironmen took their training into action at the Patchogue and Huntington Indoor Triathlon events performing each discipline for 15 minutes and tallying their distances. Congratulations to all those that participated.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
My Y Week
From April 8 through April 21st, our YMCAs are hosting a variety of activities to raise awareness to help those in need of financial assistance. This year, the theme is Under the Sea: Discovering the Y's Hidden Treasures. Our staff have been hard at work for several weeks preparing for these exciting events coming up. The events will raise awareness and critical funds for programs and services such as our Chronic Disease Prevention & Recovery Programs, Summer Day Camp, Swim Lessons and more, for individuals and families. I plan on participating in both a spin-a-thon and a Zumba night and I hope that you are able to join us for an event at your Y where you get in a workout, fun, and raise funds for a cause you want to support!
Complete schedules of events for each branch can be found here.
Run for a Cause: YMCA 5K Series
I am so proud to introduce our new YMCA 5K Run/Walk Series across the island. Sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union and KIND Snacks, each 5K race benefits an important cause and program in our communities.
It’s not too late to register and run for a cause.
Download our brochure for more information. Sign up for Sponsorship Opportunities.
• Last Sunday, April 8th, more than 669 people participated in the Patchogue Family YMCA 5K Run/Walk with proceeds to benefit the Y Diabetes Prevention Program. A record year!
UPCOMING RACES:
• April 22nd: YMCA 5K Run/Walk In Memory of Marcie Mazzola
Proceeds from this run/walk benefit programs serving at-risk children.
• June 2nd: YMCA 5K Run/Walk in Memory of Judi
Proceeds from this run/walk will benefit cancer survivors through financial assistance to local families battling breast cancer, scholarships to local high school seniors impacted by breast cancer, and support for LiveStrong at the YMCA program.
It was important to us at the Y, that we share every opportunity for our community members to feel energized by participating in all the races we offer, while supporting causes that are so close to all of our hearts. Now, we get to cover more ground with all of you. I hope to see you at one or more races coming up across the island.