- YMCA 50/50/50 Health and Wellness Challenge
April 15 – June 3
The Y is excited to offer a FREE 50/50/50 Health and Wellness Challenge for YMCA Facility Members, ages 50 and up. Here’s how it works:
Participants will have 50 days to complete 50 miles of exercise using the conversion chart below.
- 1 mile of walking/jogging = 1 mile
- 10 laps in the pool = 1 mile
- 3 miles of cycling = 1 mile
- 2000 pedometer steps = 1 mile
- 20 minutes of strength training = 1 mile
- 60 minutes of pickleball = 3 miles
- 60 minutes in group exercise classes = 3 miles
Tracking Sheets will be available for pick up at the front desk and emailed to all those registered beginning April 15. Record your miles on the tracking sheet and return to the Membership desk by June 3 to be entered into a raffle for Y swag!
REGISTER TODAY
- Teamwork Happens Here: Celebrating a Successful 2024 Youth Basketball Season
With the 2024 Youth Basketball League (YBL) season having drawn to a close, we’d like to send our sincere thanks to everyone who helped to make this winter such a memorable experience for young athletes in our community. With the support of our volunteer coaches, generous league sponsors, and community partners, we welcomed more than 1,200 kids to basketball courts in Joliet, Plainfield, Morris, and Coal City this season.
At the Y, we know that our youth sports programs help to keep kids physically active. But, as we reflect on the past several months, we know that the impact YMCA programs can have on young athletes reaches way beyond what happens on the court during practices and games. In addition to staying active and healthy, kids who play sports develop higher self-esteem, perform better in school, and work better in groups. The YMCA’s YBL program teaches kids the fundamentals of the game of basketball while emphasizing the importance of learning to work together as a team. Most importantly, kids have a lot of fun!
YBL BY THE NUMBERS
1,242 – Players
123 – Teams
460 – Games Played
152 – Volunteer CoachesOn behalf of all the kids who played basketball at the YMCA this season, we thank all the families, players, volunteer coaches and staff members who participated across our association’s programs, as well as the sponsors who helped make this season possible:
C.W. Avery Family YMCA:
24-7 Division of ARL Transport
Associated Orthodontists
Contractors Association of Will & Grundy Counties
Edward Jones – Ryan Peterson
Floor Coverings International
Gus P. Rousonelos
Hamilton & Antonsen, LTD. – Attorneys at Law
Hayes Auto & Truck Repair
Old National Bank
Pizza Ranch – Shorewood
Plainfield Rotary
Rathbun, Cservenyak, & Kozol LLC.
Slim Chickens – Plainfield
Stockton Wealth Management
Today’s Dental of Plainfield
Turk Furniture
Webb Chevrolet PlainfieldGalowich Family YMCA:
Ace Iron & Metal INC
Associated Orthodontists LTD
Contractors Association of Will & Grundy Counties
E-Z Auto Sales
Gifted Elite Academy
Greg’s Body Shop
Michael Hansen
Hoopers 4 Life
M & M Auto Crafts
Minor – Morris Funeral Home
MulticultuReal
Pam Gant Sports Club
PeopleFirst Bank
Pizza Ranch
POSTNET
Ron Tirapelli Ford
State Farm – Howard Wright
Supermercado Casa Blanca
Turk Furniture
Unidos Marketing Network
Vital Signs Solutions Inc.
VNA Health CareMorris Community YMCA:
Ameriprise Financial-Rob Martin
Arcadia Care of Morris
Associated Orthodontists LTD
Automotive Performance
Brandt Excavating, INC
Brian Zabel & Associates, PC
Brown & Brown
Busey Bank
Contractors Association of Will & Grundy Counties
Elevate Real Estate Team
E-Z Auto Sales
KJ McKeons
Nora’s Bakery
Nowacki Insurance Agency
Old National Bank
Painters Local 33
Pizza Ranch
Prime Baths
Quality Millwork & Trim
Rolando’s Furniture & Appliances
Roth Jorstad Insurance Agency
The Beauty Parlor
TNT Construction Enterprises, LLC.
Turk Furniture
Webb Chevrolet Plainfield
Wilkinson Clinic of Chiropractic
Zig’s Fairway Auto Repair and TowingWe can’t wait to see everyone on the court next season!
- Working Together to Make Your Y Better: Facility Improvements at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA
Spring Renovation Projects Set to Get Underway on Friday, March 22
To better accommodate the needs of our members and the community, the C.W. Avery Family YMCA will be completing several exciting renovation projects in the coming weeks:
Kids Corner
Construction will begin on Friday, March 22.While renovations are underway, Kids Corner will be relocated to the Preschool Room. Capacity will be limited during this time.
PLEASE NOTE: Kids Corner will be CLOSED on Friday, March 22 and Monday, April 1.
Our renovated Kids Corner will feature new furniture, toys for kids of all ages, fresh paint and welcoming graphics, and a new play structure.
While Kids Corner will reopen for member use on April 2, improvements to the space will continue to be made over the next several months. Final renovations, including the installation of the play structure, should be completed by early summer.
Activity Center
Closed from March 22-April 2Renovations will also be completed in the Activity Center, which is designed for kids, ages 7-17. Our renovated Activity Center will feature new furniture, new computers and gaming systems, Infinity gaming tables, a TV, expanded arts and craft stations, and more.
The Activity Center will reopen for member use on April 2, and improvements will continue to be made in the space over the next several months. Final renovations should be completed by early summer.
Program Room (Located adjacent to the Activity Center)
Closed from March 22-April 2Improvements will also be made in the Program Room, which is utilized throughout the year for Fab After 50 events, community meetings, and Day Out of School and Summer Camp activities. The Program Room will be painted and new kitchen equipment and cabinetry will be installed.
Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during our construction period. We look forward to sharing these renovated spaces with our members and the community in the coming weeks. Please watch for project updates on our Facebook page and via email.
If you have any questions, please contact Executive Director Lisa Behounek at (815) 267-8600 or via email at [email protected].
- Morris Community YMCA Announces Summer Preschool Camp Opportunities
In addition to summer day camp, the Morris Community YMCA is excited to offer summer preschool camp for children ages 3-6! Through a variety of activities that are both structured and open play, our dedicated staff members teach, model, and reinforce the Y’s character values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Weekly activities incorporate bright colors, music, and interactive games to help our youngest members develop their socialization skills. YMCA summer preschool camps are a great opportunity for your child to embrace his or her imagination and be creative. (Please note: All participants must be potty trained.)
Camp Dates and Themes:
June 24-28 – Blast Off to Summer!
July 8-12 – Under the Sea
July 15-19 – Storybook Adventures
July 22-26 – Stomp, Roar, Sparkle & ShineCamp Hours: 9-11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday
Camp Location:
JJC Morris Education Center
725 School Street
Morris, IL 60450Weekly Rates: $80 for Facility Members, $125 for Community Members
- YMCA Announces Partnership with Village of Shorewood to Build New Facility
The Greater Joliet Area YMCA announced today that it will be embarking on an exciting journey in partnership with the Village of Shorewood to build a new state-of-the-art YMCA facility on Route 52 in Shorewood. Construction of the new YMCA facility will begin later this year and is expected to open to the community in 2026.
Located along the thriving Route 52 corridor on land near the Village Hall, the new 50,000-square-foot YMCA facility will feature a wellness center, gymnasium, an eight-lane lap pool, group exercise studios, community rooms, and outdoor spaces for summer camps and youth sports programs. Upon opening, the new facility will also serve as the home for the Y’s Regional Office, which provides support and leadership to all YMCA branches and program sites in Will and Grundy Counties.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Village of Shorewood to grow our mission in Will County,” said Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair. “Through this innovative partnership, we will work together to build a thriving community center that will provide YMCA members and residents living in Shorewood and the greater Joliet area with access to health and wellness and recreational programming in a welcoming and contemporary space,” added Leclair.
“The Village of Shorewood is very excited to partner with the YMCA to build a new state-of-the-art recreational facility in our community,” said Shorewood Village Mayor Clarence “CC” DeBold. “The YMCA is a well-respected organization with a strong family focus and a long history of serving the residents of Will County, making it a great partner for the Village of Shorewood. This will be a wonderful amenity for our residents and the community,” added DeBold.
As one of the nation’s leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, the Y is committed to strengthening our community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. For more than 95 years, the YMCA has provided much-needed programs and services for children, adults, and families living in Will and Grundy Counties. At its three facilities in Joliet, Plainfield, and Morris, and at more than 50 program sites located throughout our community, the Y serves residents of all ages through its before and after school, summer camp, aquatics, youth and adult sports, and health and wellness programs. Through its financial assistance and scholarship program, the YMCA works to ensure that its programs are available to everyone and no one is turned away due to the inability to pay. In 2023, the Y provided more than $900,000 in financial assistance for children, adults, and families living in our community.
Construction of the new YMCA facility in Shorewood is expected to begin later this year. While the new YMCA facility is under construction, the Galowich Family YMCA, which is located just four miles east of where the new facility will be built, will remain open to serve YMCA members and the community. When the new YMCA opens in Shorewood, the Galowich Family YMCA will be retired and the facility and land will be sold.
“To meet the needs of the greater Joliet community and to ensure the long-term sustainability of our YMCA, we must continue to provide our members and the community with innovative and state-of-the-art facilities,” said Leclair. “Although we are sad to be retiring the Galowich Family YMCA building, we are excited to write the next chapter of the Y’s storied history in our community as we continue to provide much-needed youth development programs at more than 50 community-based sites throughout the greater Joliet area,” added Leclair.