Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

C.W. Avery, Central City, Galowich, Morris

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Celebrate the Holiday Season at the YMCA

Ho, Ho, Ho! This holiday season, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA has a series of festive activities planned for you and your family. Come ready to spread joy and cheer and join us in a winter wonderland of fun!

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Holidays Around the World
Date: Friday, December 8
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.
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Join us for an evening highlighting holiday traditions around the world, including traditional holiday crafts, games, letters to Santa, reindeer food, bounce houses, a hot chocolate bar, and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus! Families can also donate an item to our Winter Clothing Drive for a chance to win a prize! Free and open to the community. Registration is required.

Pizza with Santa
Date: Friday, December 8
Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Cost: $7
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Join us for pizza with Santa and Mrs. Claus! PLEASE NOTE: Open to Facility Members only. Space is limited and registration is required.

Holiday Gift Wrapping at the YMCA
Thursday, December 14
5-7:30 p.m.
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Friday, December 15
9:30-10:30 a.m.
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With the holiday shopping season already underway, the C.W. Avery Family YMCA is here to lend a hand. The YMCA’s most trusted elves will be spreading cheer this Christmas season by hosting two free Gift Wrapping events. All gift wrap, bows, and tags will be supplied, but members can supply their own, if preferred. Please limit 15 gifts per household. Tips and donations to YMCA’s Mission Strong Fund are welcome. PLEASE NOTE: Open to Facility Members only. Space is limited and registration is required.

New Year’s Eve Pool Party
Sunday, December 31
10 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
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Back by popular demand! Make your plans to join us as we usher in the new year with a family-friendly party in the Y’s indoor waterpark. Festivities will include open swim, music, crafts, games, prizes, refreshments, and a New Year’s ‘countdown’ at noon. Open to YMCA Facility Members only. PLEASE NOTE: Open to Facility Members only. Space is limited and registration is required.

Morris Community YMCA

Holiday Fun at the YMCA
Date: Thursday, December 14
Time: 5-7 p.m.
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Families are invited to kick off the Christmas season by enjoying Holiday Fun at the YMCA! There will be Christmas crafts, games, snacks, and an opportunity to get a photo with Santa! Free and open to the community.

Galowich Family YMCA

Santa’s Workshop at the YMCA
Date: Friday, December 15
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
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Santa Claus is coming to town and making a special stop at the Galowich Family YMCA! Enjoy making reindeer food, interacting with Santa, ornament decorating, and more. Free and open to the community. PLEASE NOTE: Registration is required.

Make a Splash at the Y Over Winter Break
Dates: January 3-5
Time: 5:30-6:15 p.m.
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As America’s most trusted swim instructor, the Y has been teaching kids how to swim for more than 100 years. This holiday season, the Galowich Family YMCA is partnering with the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance to offer free swim lessons for YMCA kids, ages 6-12. Kids of all swimming abilities are welcome and encouraged to register for this exciting three-day program. Spots are limited, so register today! PLEASE NOTE: Open to YMCA Facility Members only. Registered participants must be able to attend all three days of lessons.

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Members Invited to Complete Aquatics Survey

Each year, the Y welcomes individuals of all ages to learn the invaluable life skill of swimming at our facilities. And now we’d like to hear from you. As we strive to meet the ever-evolving needs of our YMCA community, we have designed a short electronic survey to gather feedback. This survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and those who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle to win a free session of YMCA swim lessons. (One winner per branch.)

Select your local Y branch below below to begin:

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Galowich Family YMCA

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Mission Strong Fund Receives $10,000 Donation from CITGO Lemont Refinery

Every day the YMCA affirms its commitment to making a positive impact in the community. Y programs provide opportunities for all generations, ensuring that every individual feels a sense of belonging. And as a non-profit, community-based organization, the YMCA relies on the generosity of its members and the support of charitable giving to provide services and financial assistance for children, adults and families living in our community.

That is why the YMCA would like to thank the CITGO Lemont Refinery, which recently provided a $10,000 donation in support of the YMCA Mission Strong Fund, helping ensure that nobody is turned away from the Y due to the inability to pay.

“We are so grateful for CITGO and we are humbled by this generous gift to the Y,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Executive Officer Katy Leclair. “CITGO is a long-time supporter of YMCA initiatives and we continue to be inspired by their dedication to helping us serve our community,” added Leclair.

To learn more about the YMCA’s Mission Strong Fund, please click here. To show your support by making a donation, please click here. 

Pictured in top photo: (L-R) CITGO Lemont Refinery Public Affairs Manager  Jennifer Hannon, CITGO Lemont Refinery Communications Advisor Brittany Borosak, Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair, Greater Joliet Area YMCA Mission Advancement Director Donnie Chestnutt, Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Operating Officer Missy Durkin.

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2024 YMCA Gala Slated for February 24

Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2024 YMCA Gala on Saturday, February 24, at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. This elegant evening, which is generously presented by Midland States Bank, will celebrate charitable giving at the YMCA by showcasing the Y’s impact in our community and the generous donors, like you, who help to make our mission come to life each and every day.

Now in its 16th year, the Gala has raised nearly $1.5 million to benefit families living in our community. Funds raised from this year’s event will benefit the Y’s Mission Strong Fund, which helps to ensure that no one is turned away from the YMCA due to the inability to pay.

Exciting sponsorship opportunities, ranging from $100 to $15,000, with corresponding benefits are on sale now.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Tickets for the 2024 YMCA Gala will go on sale in January. To learn about this year’s event, please visit our Event Headquarters or contact:

Dori Fugate
Volunteer and Community Engagement Director
[email protected]
(815) 267-8600, ext. 210

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Vote for the Greater Joliet Area YMCA in Hometown National Bank’s ‘Giving Back Together’ Contest

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is excited to participate in this fall’s ‘Giving Back Together’ contest held by Hometown National Bank, which invites the community to vote for their favorite local 501(c)3 nonprofit. Hometown National Bank will donate $2,500 and create a promotional highlight video for the top overall vote recipient.

Participants can cast a vote here.

Voting is underway and will continue through Tuesday, November 28.

When voting select:

YMCA

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2023 Heritage Club Celebration Honors Planned Giving to the Greater Joliet Area YMCA

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The Greater Joliet Area YMCA hosted its 2023 Heritage Club Dinner at Mistwood Golf Club on Thursday, September 28. Held annually, this evening celebrates charitable giving at the YMCA and recognizes those donors who have chosen to make a legacy gift to the YMCA.

Heritage Club membership is granted to those individuals who have included a gift for the YMCA in their will or estate plans. Many Heritage Club members have also generously established a named endowment fund or supported the YMCA’s Mission Strong Fund, which helps to ensure that no one is turned away from the Y due to the inability to pay.

Message of Thanks

The evening began with Greater Joliet Area YMCA Board of Directors Chairman Guy Christensen welcoming those in attendance and thanking them for their continued support of the Y’s mission. Christensen then invited Endowment Development Committee Volunteer Jackie Bersano to offer an invocation. Bersano then welcomed Endowment Development Committee Chairman Susan Lee to the podium to introduce vocalists Jeff and Michelle Ray and pianist Victor Moreno, who provided the evening’s entertainment.

Celebration of Charitable Giving

Following dinner, Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair reflected on the incredible support the Y continues to receive from the community.  She recognized the YMCA’s past donors, volunteers, and employees whose foresight and vision laid the groundwork to help to shape what the YMCA is today. Leclair reiterated that the same passion and forward thinking mentality must continue to guide YMCA programs and services in our community.

Grundy Bank President and CEO and Morris Community YMCA Council Chairman Kevin Olson then stepped to the podium to speak about the Grundy Bank/Ron Wohlwend Endowment Fund, which was recently established to honor Wohlwend’s legacy and commitment to community. He noted that Wolhwend, who served as honorary chairman of the Morris YMCA’s Capital Campaign before his passing in the spring of 2021, would be extremely proud to know the future Morris Hospital YMCA is now under construction, with an anticipated opening in early 2025.

Leclair then introduced Galowich Family YMCA member Dawn Vlaicevic, who spoke about the impact of YMCA programs on her family. Vlaicevic shared her grandson Jaxson’s experience in the Y’s Summer Day Camp and Before and After School Kid Zone programs, crediting the Y’s diverse and supportive environment for helping his development. She also expressed gratitude for the YMCA’s financial assistance program and the invaluable resources that Y families are provided through the YMCA Mission Strong Fund.

An Invitation for Impact  

Endowment Development Committee Volunteer Donna Zanzola closed the celebration by expressing the Y’s appreciation for those donors who have generously made legacy gifts to the Y over the years. The YMCA’s doors continue to expand with open arms and it is through gifts like those provided by Heritage Club members that make this possible.

To learn more about Heritage Club membership and the Y’s endowment fund, please visit: https://www.jolietymca.org/giving/planned-giving/

 

 

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