Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

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

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My Y Rewards Special September Earnings Event

Fall is a season of change and now is the perfect time to rejuvenate your health and wellness routine with a little inspiration from the YMCA! Our special My Y Rewards September Earnings Event will help you build healthy habits and stay focused on achieving your fitness goals!

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Facility Members enrolled in the My Y Rewards program will receive 100 bonus rewards points if they check in at the Y at least 15 times in the month of September.

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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Celebrating a Successful 2024 Summer Camp Season at the YMCA

Our 2024 Summer Day Camp season, which was generously sponsored by CN, officially came to a close last week. It was another incredible experience for everyone involved!  

We’d like to thank all of our camp families for spending the summer with us here at the YMCA. We hope you have a wonderful school year and look forward to seeing you back at camp next year.

We’d also like to thank all of our wonderful community partners who opened their doors and their hearts, allowing us to provide much-needed summer child care at locations throughout Will and Grundy Counties. 

Finally, we’d like to thank our top-notch summer camp team for their endless energy, compassion, and creativity. Your hard work and tireless dedication helped to ensure that each of our campers had a summer full of fun and adventures.

As we take a look back at the summer that was, let’s take a closer look at YMCA Summer Camp By the Numbers:

8 Camp Locations

With a little help from our friends, we hosted camp at each of our YMCA facilities and at offsite locations throughout the community. Thank you, Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center, Joliet Junior College, Saratoga School District 60C, Plainfield School District 202, and Valley View School District 365U for helping us serve kids in our community this summer.

1,220 Campers

We are so proud to provide a memorable camp experience for each and every one of our amazing summer day campers. 

215 Counselors

Summer day camp would not be possible without the dedication, versatility, and inspiring leadership of our Summer Camp staff team.

39 Summer Day Camp Volunteers Contributing 2,100 Volunteer Service Hours 

Student volunteers from local high schools as well as volunteers from the Catholic Charities of Joliet were a pivotal resource during summer day camp as they provided assistance to Y staff, ensuring campers participated in a wide range of learning opportunities.

63 Field Trips

We were thrilled to help our campers go on exciting adventures! Whether it was a trip to the movies, a visit to the zoo, or enjoying a day at an amusement park, our campers got the chance to explore the community and make memories!

More than $80,000 raised by the YMCA’s Send a Kid to Camp Campaign 

At the Y, nobody is ever turned away due to the inability to pay. Nearly half of the children who attend YMCA summer day camp programs receive financial assistance, and this is made possible by the incredible generosity of YMCA donors. This spring, our Send A Kid to Camp Campaign supporters generously funded more than 1,700 days of camp for children in our community.

We look forward to seeing you next summer. Camp registration for the summer of 2025 will get underway in March!

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Register Today for JETS Swim Team 2024 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.

Cost: $25

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Ages 6-10
Dates: August 26-28
Time: 5-6 p.m.
JOIN THE WAITLIST

Ages 11-17
Dates: August 26-28
Time: 6-7 p.m.
REGISTER TODAY

Galowich Family YMCA

Ages 6-17
Dates: August 27-29
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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Greater Joliet Area YMCA Receives $7,500 Donation from Midland States Bank Foundation

Every day the Greater Joliet Area 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 offer these services and programs for children, adults and families living in our community.

That is why the YMCA would like to thank the Midland States Bank Foundation, which recently provided a $7,500 grant in support of YMCA Summer Day Camp, helping to ensure that campers, staff members, and volunteers had the resources to make this summer the #BestSummerEver.

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): Midland States Bank Senior Commercial Services Regional Manager Denise Bertucci, Midland States Bank Executive Vice President of Community Banking and Wealth Management Dan Stevenson, Galowich Family YMCA and Future Village of Shorewood YMCA Executive Director Trisha Dust, Galowich Family YMCA Youth and Family Director Tracy Wrase, Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair, and Midland States Bank Regional Community Development Relationship Manager Cornell Lurry

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Jason Clearwater Fund Donates $30,000 to Community Grows Here Capital Campaign

The Morris Community YMCA is excited to announce a generous $30,000 gift from the Jason Clearwater Fund in support of the Community Grows Here Capital Campaign. This donation will provide invaluable equipment and resources to sports programs at the future Morris Hospital YMCA, which is set to open in early 2025 at its location adjacent to Morris Grade School. 

The Y, in partnership with Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers, envisions a place where the community will come together to grow in spirit, mind, and body.

“We have been proud to offer YMCA sports programs to Grundy County and the surrounding communities for more than a decade,” Chief Business Development Officer Missy Durkin said. “And we know we will continue to build and improve these programs thanks to the incredible support from groups like the Jason Clearwater Fund. We can’t wait to welcome future athletes and their families.”

If you haven’t yet pledged your support for the Community Grows Here Capital Campaign, there is still time to make a gift and ensure your participation in one of the most transformative projects in Grundy County history. Donate today by clicking here or contact the Morris Community YMCA at (815) 513-8080 to learn more. 

Pictured above (left to right): JCF Board Member Karlie Vowell, JCF Board Member Todd Cade, Greater Joliet Area YMCA Chief Business Development Officer Missy Durkin, JCF Board Member Nate Olson, JCF Board Member Jeramy Sherwood

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Keeping Kids Healthy: Partnerships with Endeavor Health and Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers Highlight 2024 Summer Day Camp Season

YMCA Summer Day Camp is not only a great way for kids to stay active and have fun with friends, it’s also an opportunity for them to learn important life skills. This summer, the Y had the privilege of working with our healthcare partners at Endeavor Health and Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers to provide unique experiences and host health and wellness activities for campers at our Morris and C.W. Avery Family YMCA camp locations.

At the C.W. Avery Family YMCA, Endeavor Health created 10 weekly themes that encompassed a wide range of health and wellness topics. Activities included craft projects that campers completed to help their families maintain healthy eating habits, as well as posting health tips inside the Y to inspire our members. Campers also identified the best ways to support their emotional health through group discussions, received instruction on cardio, strength and yoga exercises, and had the chance to meet EMT professionals to learn about life-saving 911 equipment and procedures during an interactive ambulance visit. 

“This is the second year we have partnered with Endeavor to offer weekly activities and it’s something that we are very proud to have in our camp curriculum,” C.W. Avery Family YMCA Youth and Family Director Shannon Stawikowski said. “The campers have done an amazing job with their projects and we hope they continue to build on the healthy habits they have developed as they move into the upcoming school year.”

For Morris Community YMCA campers, the summer was highlighted by several educational visits from Morris Hospital employees. Lessons helped demonstrate the importance of washing your hands to prevent the spread of germs, identify stroke symptoms in the event a loved one is suffering a medical emergency, and learn basic first-aid treatments. Campers in grades 3-5 also participated in Camp 911, which brought together an array of local healthcare and law enforcement agencies for interactive demonstrations at Saratoga Elementary School.

“We were so excited to have Camp 911 back for the first time since 2019,” Morris Community YMCA Youth and Family Director Jordan Overton said. “I know the kids had a lot of fun meeting the police dog and they also got a real thrill seeing the hospital helicopter. It really was a perfect way to help connect kids with the incredible professionals and volunteers who serve our community.”

We are so thankful for the support of our healthcare partners and their role in making this summer the #BestSummerEver. We can’t wait to see these partnerships flourish throughout our branches and program sites into the school year and beyond.

2024 YMCA Summer Day Camp is generously sponsored by CN. 

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United Way