• Safe Waters, Strong Futures: Creating a Legacy of Water Safety

  

  For 100 years, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA has been more than a place you go. It has been a promise – driven by people, grounded in values, committed to strengthening our community, and dedicated to ensuring that people of all ages and from all walks of life have the opportunity to discover who they are and who they can become.

  As America’s most trusted swim lesson provider, the YMCA is a leading community resource for drowning prevention and lifelong water safety. Each year, YMCA swim programs help more than one million children build essential swimming and water safety skills. As we step forward into the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s second century of service, we have an 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.

  A Legacy Worth Making
  In celebration of the Y’s Centennial Anniversary in 2026, we are excited to announce the establishment of the Safe Waters, Strong Futures Endowment Fund to help ensure that everyone in our community has the skills to feel safe, confident, and capable when they are in and around water.

  SAFE WATERS, STRONG FUTURES ENDOWMENT FUND INFORMATION

  Imagine the impact. A child learns to float. A young swimmer gains confidence. A parent learns how to respond in an emergency. A family discovers the joy of swimming together. Lifesaving skills are passed from one generation to the next. Your generosity can help make these moments possible – today and tomorrow.

  PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT TODAY
  Contributions to the Safe Waters, Strong Futures Endowment Fund will help create a permanent source of support for YMCA aquatic programs. Gifts may be made by cash, check, or online. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, all gifts to the YMCA are tax-deductible.

  To pledge your support or to learn more about endowment giving at the YMCA, please contact the Greater Joliet Area YMCA Development Office at (815) 729-9638.

• Capturing a Moment in Time: Greater Joliet Area YMCA Time Capsule

  

  A Celebration 100 Years in the Making

  As we celebrate the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s Centennial Anniversary in 2026, we invite the community to be part of our history. Stop by any Greater Joliet Area YMCA branch to complete a special time capsule note card. Share a message, tell us your Y story, or reflect on what the Y means to you. Your words will become part of our Centennial Time Capsule, which will be opened 25 years from now.

  Help us capture the people, memories, and moments that make the Y special – and leave a piece of your story for the generations who come next.

  Submissions will be collected through November 20.

• Let Your Talent Shine: 2026 YMCA Holiday Card Design Contest

  The YMCA’s Holiday Card Design Contest is back! Open to Y Members, ages 6-12, the contest is the perfect opportunity for kids to let their artistic talents shine and help spread a little cheer this upcoming holiday season.

  Here’s how to enter:

  1. Download an entry form and print it out. Entry forms are also available at the Y’s Front Desk.

  2. Grab some crayons, markers and colored pencils and draw a picture that depicts your favorite things about the holidays and the winter season. From snowmen to Christmas trees, to candy canes and snowflakes, we can’t wait to see your original designs!

  3. Complete the entry form and drop it off at the Y.

  We will select our three favorite designs—one from each age group—to be featured on the Y’s holiday card.

  Age Groups

  • Ages 6-7
  • Ages 8-9
  • Ages 10-12

  Each of our winners will receive a YMCA Sweatshirt and other exciting prizes.

  Download Entry Form

  The deadline to enter is 8 p.m. on Thursday, November 5.

• 100 Years Strong Because of You: September Member Appreciation

  Happy 100th Birthday to the Greater Joliet Area YMCA! To celebrate this milestone, we’re giving our members a chance to score big! Facility Members who check in at any Greater Joliet Area YMCA branch on Tuesday, September 29 will be entered into a raffle for a $100 credit to our YMCA Centennial Store.

  The Centennial Anniversary Store features an exclusive collection of limited-edition YMCA merchandise, available in both adult and youth sizes. With apparel and accessories for the whole family, everyone can take part in the celebration as we honor the Y’s long-standing commitment to strengthening our community and inspiring healthy living for all.

  Stop by and see us!

• Former JETS Swim Team Coach Tim Hill Inducted into American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame

  The Greater Joliet Area YMCA is proud to celebrate former JETS Swim Team coach Tim Hill, who was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Fame as a member of its 2026 class. Hill was honored during a special ceremony held in Orlando last weekend, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the sport of swimming and his lasting impact as a coach and mentor.

  “I appreciate being recognized by my peers, but the bigger thing was getting to see many of the swimmers and coaches that I have worked with and getting to hear how they are doing. I really hope that I was able to impact them in a positive way,” he said.

  A native of New York, Hill said he had an attachment to the Y from an early age. 

  “I have been a Y person for as long as I can remember. Because both my parents worked, I basically lived at the Y until they got home. I’ve always believed in the Y tenants of mind, body, spirit. That is still part of my DNA and how I approach things.”

  Hill attended George Williams College in Chicago and held positions at YMCAs in Oak Lawn and Sarasota, Florida before serving as JETS coach from 1977 to 1980.

  “It was a very diverse community and the parents group always wanted to do what was best for the overall program. I remember the parents bought an old school bus and fixed it up. They made it into the Joliet JETS bus. Whenever we made trips, we jumped in the bus and we kind of became the talk of the Midwest at swim meets. The kids loved it,” he said.

  Hill helped former JETS swimmer David Sims qualify for the Olympics in 1980, and he would later have coaching stops at Southern Illinois University and Arizona State University. In total, more than 140 swimmers earned All-American honors under Hill’s leadership. Beyond guiding individuals to success, Hill said he has always emphasized the importance of teamwork.

  “Coaching is our vehicle to help people go through the process of growing and learning. We’re first and foremost mentors and teachers. And being part of a team matters. No one is successful on their own,” he said.

  Though he now lives and coaches in Texas, Hill says he has remained connected to the current JETS coaching staff, led by Dave Hedden and Manny Arriola. And, with the Greater Joliet Area YMCA celebrating its centennial in 2026, Hill said the Y continues to shine as an example of building strong teams and strong kids. 

  “Kids want to be a part of something, and know that somebody cares about them and wants them. The Y is a place for fellowship,” he said. “Technology is good – phones, computers, and the like – but we spend less time in community today, and I think the Y provides a very necessary tangible component to community.” 

  We once again congratulate Coach Hill on this well-deserved recognition from the ASCA, and we thank him for his many years of service to the Y and his incredible contributions to the sport of swimming. Through his passion for the sport, he has helped foster a lifelong love of swimming among young athletes in our community and swimmers from across the nation. We are grateful for the lasting legacy he has built throughout his Hall of Fame career!

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