Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

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

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2027 YMCA Gala Slated for February 27

Sponsorship Opportunities Coming Soon

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the 2027 YMCA Gala on Saturday, February 27, at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. This elegant evening, which is generously presented by Midland States Bank, celebrates 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. Festivities will include dinner, silent and live auctions, exciting raffles, and entertainment.

Now in its 19th year, the YMCA Gala has raised more than $2.3 million to benefit children, adults, and families living in our community. Funds raised from the 2027 Gala 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.

Tickets for the 2027 YMCA Gala will go on sale in January. Exciting sponsorship opportunities for the Gala will be available beginning next week.

To learn about this year’s event, please visit our Event Headquarters or contact:

EVENT INFORMATION
Dori Fugate
Volunteer and Special Events Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 782-0502

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
Donnie Chestnutt
Mission Advancement Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (815) 782-0800

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Registration Underway for 2026 YMCA Holiday Weight Maintenance Challenge

Holiday Weight Maintenance Challenge Starting November 16

Our 8-week Holiday Weight Maintenance Challenge will help you get in shape and keep the weight off during the holiday season. We have a great plan to help you adopt healthy eating and exercise habits while saying ‘No’ to those tempting holiday cravings.

Are you up for the challenge?

If you can maintain your weight within 2 pounds for 8 weeks, you will receive a $20 YMCA credit that can be used towards any fitness program, including personal training. If you gain more than 2 pounds during this eight-week challenge, your fee will be donated in your name to the Y’s Mission Strong Fund.

There will be two mandatory weigh-ins:
Week 1 (some time between November 16 and November 22)
Week 8 (some time between January 4 and January 10)

There will also be optional weigh-in:
Week 4 (some time between December 7 and December 13)

As part of this fun-filled Holiday Weight Maintenance Challenge, you will receive:

  • A one-of-a-kind YMCA Holiday Weight Maintenance Challenge T-shirt
  • Weekly emails with workout tips, healthy holiday recipes and special fitness challenges, designed specifically for challenge participants

Let’s have a little fun this holiday season. Together, we will help you celebrate the holiday season happy and healthy!

Registration is now open. Select your branch below and sign up today!

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Morris Hospital YMCA

Village of Shorewood YMCA

Cost: $30

PLEASE NOTE: Registration closes on November 22.

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Translation Services Now Available for Greater Joliet Area YMCA Policy and Etiquette Signage

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is committed to creating welcoming, inclusive spaces where everyone feels they belong. That’s why we’re proud to announce new translation capabilities for signage at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA, Morris Hospital YMCA, and Village of Shorewood YMCA. This new resource will make important information more accessible to members and guests in the languages they use most. Here’s how it works:

1. Signs outlining facility and visitor etiquette policies are posted in spaces throughout each Y location.

2. Scannable QR codes are posted on each sign that sends visitors to our website.

3. To utilize this new tool, members and guest can scan the posted QR code using their mobile phone. Once the webpage opens, users can scroll down to review the policy and etiquette signage of the area they are currently using. To translate sign content into the preferred language, visitors can use their device’s translation tool or select their language using the button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

More than 100 languages are available in our translation system.

Visitors needing any additional assistance for translation services are welcome to visit the Membership Desk.

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An Evening of Gratitude: Heritage Club Dinner Celebrates a Century of Charitable Giving at the Y

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA hosted its 2026 Heritage Club Dinner at Mistwood Golf Club on Tuesday, September 29. Held annually, this evening celebrates charitable giving at the YMCA and recognizes those donors who have chosen to make a legacy gift to the Y. 

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 General Endowment 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 Endowment Development Committee Chair Susan Lee welcoming those in attendance and thanking them for their continued support of the Y’s mission. Lee also thanked her fellow committee members for helping plan this annual event and previewed the stories of impact that would be shared throughout the night. Lee then invited Endowment Development Committee Volunteer and YMCA Board Member Jackie Bersano to the podium to offer the evening’s invocation.

Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair led a special toast in recognition of the Y’s Centennial, a milestone officially reached the same evening as the Heritage Club Dinner, and reflected on the incredible support the Y continues to receive from the community. She recognized past YMCA donors, volunteers, and employees whose foresight and vision laid the groundwork to shape what the organization has become today. 

Celebration of Charitable Giving

Following dinner, Leclair welcomed YMCA Endowment Development Committee and Heritage Club member Donna Zanzola, who spoke about the inspiring impact of charitable giving and how it has shaped a century of service for the Greater Joliet Area YMCA. 

Leclair was then joined at the podium by Joliet Community YMCA Advisory Council Chair Larry Wiers and Greater Joliet Area YMCA Director of Competitive Aquatics Dave Hedden to present the William R. Lauer Service to Youth Award to longtime YMCA volunteer and donor Bob Baish. Baish has been a supporter of the YMCA’s JETS Swim Team for more than 30 years, helping lead the Friends of Swimming volunteer group responsible for transporting and operating the electronic timing system used at swim meets. 

Baish addressed guests for brief remarks, giving credit to fellow volunteer Lee Rakoski for opening the door to support the JETS. He added that, in addition to providing the best possible experience for YMCA athletes, the fellowship built by more than three decades of volunteering has been equally rewarding. 

The event concluded with Leclair announcing the establishment of the Safe Waters, Strong Futures Endowment Fund, which will help to create a permanent source of support for YMCA aquatic programs.

“At the Y, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to feel safe, confident, and capable when they are in and around the water,” Leclair said. “As we step forward into our second century of service, we have an incredible opportunity to work together to make an investment that can help save lives and create a legacy of safer waters in our community for generations to come.”

An Invitation for Impact  

Chief Business Development Officer Missy Durkin closed the evening by explaining the mission of the Heritage Club and invited guests to explore opportunities to leave a legacy gift to the YMCA.

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 making a legacy gift to the YMCA, please click here or contact Missy Durkin, Chief Business Development Officer at (815) 513-8210. To make a donation to the Safe Waters, Strong Futures Endowment Fund, select the fund from the donation dropdown of our online giving portal.

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Meet Endeavor Health Physical Therapist Maddie Robbins

Located within the C.W. Avery Family YMCA, the Endeavor Health Physical Therapy Clinic has been an invaluable resource for the Y community since 2022. And now we are excited to highlight the newest addition to the Endeavor staff team in physical therapist Maddie Robbins! Maddie is a Shorewood native and a graduate of St. Louis University, and said that she has found the Y to be a welcoming environment since joining the team earlier this summer. 

“When I was younger, I remember coming to the Y to work out as a guest with my friends who were members. And so far everyone that I’ve met is very nice, open, and willing to get to know me, which is amazing,” Robbins said.

Maddie said her passion for physical therapy came from her background in athletics and past experience navigating injuries. 

“I was a gymnast and a competitive cheerleader. With that came a lot of injuries, and with those injuries came a lot of physical therapy. I saw how much it benefitted me and how much better it made me feel. I wanted to be able to do that for other people,” she said.

Maddie said that one of the keys to helping patients is getting ahead of any potential injury concerns. 

“A lot of people don’t know that physical therapy can be preventative. If you’re working out a lot and don’t have the correct form that would be something we can look into with movement analysis and performing different types of  exercise. We know the proper form to help make sure we prevent injuries from happening,” she said.

She said this process is made easier through the partnership between Endeavor and the Y. 

“We’re allowed to take patients out into the wellness center and if someone does work out here a lot that’s a better way to analyze their form. It’s especially effective for higher level athletes,” Maddie said. 

But whether you’re an athlete looking to rehab an injury sustained on the field, or looking to rehab following back surgery, members of all ages and health backgrounds are encouraged to learn more about Endeavor services.

“Your therapy will be based on your needs, and throughout your sessions, you’ll receive flexibility and strength training based on what’s needed. We want to see all patients progress and feel better,” Maddie said.

On behalf of the Y, we are so happy to welcome Maddie to our community and remain thankful for the amazing services provided by the Endeavor Health team to support healthy living in our community. 

To make an appointment to see a physical therapist at the Endeavor Health Physical Therapy Clinic at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA, please call (630) 527-3375. The Endeavor team will obtain insurance approval, provide you with the number of visits allowed, and give you an estimate of your out-of-pocket cost per visit.

Hours are available by appointment on weekdays during the following times:
Mondays and Wednesdays: 9:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Endeavor also offers free injury screenings. To schedule your screening, visit the Physical Therapy front desk during normal operating hours or call to set up a screening time.

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Spreading Holiday Cheer: Pack-the-Truck Christmas Toy Collection Drive

BENEFITTING TOYS FOR TOTS

The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is teaming up with the United Parcel Service (UPS) to host a Christmas Toy Collection Drive to ensure every kid in our community has a toy to open this holiday season!

Help us make the holiday season a little brighter for families in need in our community by donating a new, unwrapped toy for a child, ages 17 and younger. We will also be collecting donations of gift wrap and bows.

This festive morning will include a special appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Members of the Plainfield Fire Department, Plainfield Police Department, and United States Marines Corps will also be onsite to support this event.

Make your plans to join us!

Date: Saturday, November 14
Time: 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Location: 
C.W. Avery Family YMCA
15120 Wallin Drive
Plainfield, IL 60544

For more information about Toys For Tots in our area, click here.

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United Way