Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

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

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Register Today for JETS Swim Team Fall Clinics

The Joliet Y JETS swim team offers a range of practice groups, from beginner to advanced, based on age, skill, speed and commitment. To be placed on the beginning level of the team, swimmers must be able to swim freestyle for one length of the pool (25 yards) without stopping while demonstrating the ability to comfortably swim at the surface with arms reaching forward over the water, their face in the water, and taking breaths to the side. They must also swim 25 yards of backstroke without stopping, showing they are comfortable floating on their back while maintaining a rhythmic, supportive kick.

A member of both YMCA and USA Swimming, the JETS prepare for and participate in a variety of meets throughout the year, although competition is not mandatory. The team practices from 3 to 6 days per week, depending on group placement, at both the Avery and Galowich YMCA branches. Swimmers are encouraged to attend practices and work hard, however 100% attendance is not required.

If you’re interested in joining the JETS, please join us at one of our upcoming Swim Clinics. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the JETS and to meet our team and coaching staff. Throughout the week, coaches will be evaluating swimmers for team placement. A YMCA membership is not required to participate in the clinic. Registration is underway for Facility Members and opens on July 31 for Community Members.

Cost: $25

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Ages 6-10
Dates: August 28-30
Time: 5-6 p.m.
REGISTER TODAY 

Ages 11-17
Dates: August 28-30
Time: 6-7 p.m.
REGISTER TODAY 

Galowich Family YMCA

Ages 6-17
Dates: August 29-31
Time: 5-6 p.m.
REGISTER TODAY

To learn more about the JETS, please contact:

Dave Hedden
Director of Competitive Aquatics
[email protected]

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My Y Rewards Special June Earnings Event

DOUBLE POINTS WEDNESDAYS

We are excited to announce that Greater Joliet Area YMCA Facility Members, ages 16 and up, enrolled in the My Y Rewards program will receive double rewards points for every check-in on Wednesdays in the month of June. Learn how to enroll by clicking below.

ENROLL TODAY

Upon enrolling in the My Y Rewards Program, you’ll also earn points each time you check-in, take a class, or refer a friend to the Y. In fact, you’ll earn your first 50 points for simply enrolling in the program. You can then redeem your points for fun Y swag and program and membership credits.

If you should have any questions or any feedback on the My Y Rewards Program, please be sure to stop by the Membership Desk during your next visit or email [email protected].

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Family Fun Happens Here: C.W. Avery Family YMCA Hosting Color Run/Walk on August 18

Lace up your running shoes, invite your family and friends, and plan to attend the YMCA’s very first Back to School Color Run/Walk. Proceeds from this event, generously sponsored by Cally Larson Real Estate, will benefit the YMCA’s Mission Strong Fund, helping to ensure that no one is ever turned away from the Y due to the inability to pay. 

Date: Friday, August 18 

Check-In/Packet Pick-Up
6-6:30 p.m.

Color Run/Walk
6:30-7:15 p.m.

Cost:

Facility Members: $10 per person ($15 after July 28)
Community Members: $20 per person ($25 after July 28)

REGISTER TODAY

All participants will receive a t-shirt and sunglasses. 

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Click below to learn more. 

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you have any questions, please contact:

Lisa Behounek, Executive Director
C.W. Avery Family YMCA
[email protected]
(815) 267-8600, ext. 206

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Morris Community YMCA Set to Offer Youth Flag Football League This Fall

The Morris Community YMCA is excited to offer a youth flag football league this fall! Practices will be held on weekday evenings beginning the week of August 28. Games will be played on Saturday afternoons beginning the second weekend of September. Each participant receives a football jersey to wear for all games. Players signed up after August 7 will not be guaranteed a uniform by the first game.

Facility and community members from all Greater Joliet Area YMCA branches are eligible to participate.

League Divisions

  • Ages 5-6
  • Ages 7-8
  • Ages 9-11

2023 Registration Fees:

Prior to June 27 

  • $80 for Facility Members
  • $160 for Community Members

June 27-August 7

  • $90 for Facility Members
  • $180 for Community Members

August 8 and Beyond

  • $100 for Facility Members
  • $200 for Community Members

REGISTER TODAY

If you have any questions, please contact:
Chris Interial, Sports Director
[email protected]
(815) 267-8600, ext. 514

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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Facility in Grundy County

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA was excited to welcome the community to a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the future Morris Hospital YMCA on Wednesday, May 31. More than 300 people were in attendance to help the Y celebrate the construction of the new facility, which will be built in partnership with Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers on land adjacent to Morris Grade School.

Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Christina Van Yperen opened the event by welcoming guests and introducing Morris Community YMCA employee Paula Lutz, who provided the afternoon’s invocation.

Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair then reflected on the Y’s journey in Grundy County, celebrating the amazing dedication of the YMCA volunteers who laid the groundwork for the new Morris Hospital YMCA more than 15 years ago. She also recognized the heroic contributions of the Capital Campaign Cabinet and Y staff, past and present, and thanked the Y’s Board of Directors for their unwavering commitment to the project. Leclair also praised the leadership team at Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers for their continued partnership.

“This is such a monumental day for our YMCA and the Grundy County community,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair. “We owe so much gratitude to our amazing volunteers, our generous donors, our hardworking staff, and our wonderful partners at Morris Hospital. The new Morris Hospital YMCA will be a place where people of all ages, from all walks of life have the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We are so excited to begin construction of this new facility and continue to serve the residents of Grundy County,” added Leclair.

Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers President and CEO Tom Dohm then stepped to the podium to share the vision for the continued partnership between the hospital and the YMCA.

“From the start, the partnership between Morris Hospital and the YMCA has been a perfect match,” Dohm said. “Like Morris Hospital, the YMCA has a strong family focus and serves all people, regardless of their ability to pay. Both the hospital and the YMCA are non-profit organizations dedicated to strengthening the community through healthy living. Partnering with the YMCA helps Morris Hospital further focus on preventive care. Our mission is all about improving the health of area residents. We are honored to carry the name of our community’s new YMCA, and we are so grateful to everyone who has had a part in making this vision a reality.”

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Operating Officer Missy Durkin then addressed the crowd, thanking the elected officials, community partners, employees, and YMCA members who have provided support for the Y over the years and continue to serve as an inspiration for the project.

Morris Community YMCA Capital Campaign Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair Kevin Olson then highlighted the incredible dedication of the volunteers that have championed this project over the years. Olson also celebrated the long-term contributions the new Y will have on Morris and Grundy County, and was excited to announce that the Y has expanded plans for the lap pool at the new facility from six lanes to eight lanes. 

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Board President and Capital Campaign Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair Guy Christensen then stepped to the podium to thank the community on behalf of the Y’s Board of Directors and recognized the efforts of the project’s Building Task Force, architect, general contractor, and team of owner’s representatives, whose hard work will help to bring the future facility to life over the next 18 months.

Capital Campaign Leadership Cabinet Co-Chair Jackie Wohlwend closed the program with an inspirational ‘Get it Built’ message, echoing the words of her late husband Ron, who we know will be with us every step of the way as we work tirelessly to complete this project and open the doors for the new Morris Hospital YMCA to the community.

Construction of the new Y will begin this summer. The facility is expected to open to the community in early 2025. To learn more about the Morris Community YMCA’s Capital Campaign, please contact Chief Operating Officer Missy Durkin at (815) 513-8080 or visit www.jolietymca.org.

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Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage at the YMCA

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate our diverse Asian Pacific Islander communities and elevate the Y’s continuing journey to foster greater inclusion for all. Learn more about the Y’s connection to Asian American and Pacific Islander history below.

Did you know that the first Chinese American YMCA was founded in San Francisco in 1911? The Y held lectures on health, education, classes in English and Mandarin and even had a machine shop! To this day, the Chinatown YMCA plays a pivotal role in the community.

 

 

Duke Kahanamoku was a gold medal Olympic swimmer who trained at the Central Y in Honolulu, setting world records for the 400 and 500 relay races in 1916. Following his Olympic career retirement, Kahanamoku traveled and conducted swimming exhibitions—it was during this time that he popularized the sport of surfing in the United States, which previously had only been known in Hawaii.

 

Born in 1914, Fred Hoshiyama worked for the YMCA full time for 39 years—from 1941 through 1980—except for his time in a government internment camp during WWII. While in this camp, Hoshiyama created YMCA-based programs to help address the social, educational and recreational needs of the Japanese Americans held in the camp. He was also instrumental in revitalizing the YMCA student movement in the 1970s, and a scholarship in his name provides professional development for Y staff of Asian Pacific Islander heritage to this day.

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