Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

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

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2025 YMCA ‘Earn Your Shirt’ Summer Fitness Challenge

JUNE 16-AUGUST 10

The Y wants to help you stay committed to a healthy lifestyle this summer and that is why we are excited for our annual ‘Earn Your Shirt’ Fitness Challenge.

Here’s how it works:

Check in at the YMCA at least 20 times between June 16 and August 10 and you’ll earn a special YMCA t-shirt. Participants will receive their shirt after their 20th visit.

Cost: $25, open to YMCA Facility Members only.

Registration for the challenge is underway! and will continue through Monday, June 23. Register for the challenge at your local Y branch by clicking below.

C.W. Avery Family YMCA

Galowich Family YMCA

Morris Hospital YMCA

To learn more about this challenge visit the membership desk of your local Y branch.

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SMILES ALL AROUND: Make a Donation to the 2025 Send a Kid to Camp Campaign Today

Summertime at the YMCA is truly a magical time of year and a wonderful opportunity to see our mission at work throughout our community. Each summer, we have the absolute privilege of welcoming kids from across our community to YMCA summer day camp locations in Joliet, Plainfield, Morris, Romeoville, and Bolingbrook. At YMCA summer camp, kids of all ages learn new skills, build self-confidence, create lasting memories, and develop life-long friendships.

At the Y, we remain dedicated to providing a fun, safe, and memorable camp experience for all children, but we can’t do it alone. Last summer, more than half of the children who attended our summer camp program did so with the help of the YMCA’s financial assistance program. This was made possible thanks to precious funds donated to the YMCA by generous donors like you. To ensure that the Y’s mission will continue to thrive and help those children in our community who need it most, we need your support once again.

DONATE NOW

We invite you to invest in the kids in our community by making a charitable contribution to the YMCA’s 2025 Send a Kid to Camp Campaign. Your gift, in any amount, will help to ensure that every child has the opportunity to benefit from an engaging and impactful summer camp experience at the Y. Please know that a donation to the YMCA will help to change the lives of families living right here in our community- your friends and neighbors.

Donate today by visiting your local YMCA branch or making a charitable donation online.

DONATE NOW

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all gifts to the YMCA are tax-deductible.

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Three Times the Fun: My Y Rewards Special April Earnings Event

TRIPLE POINTS CHECK-IN SPECIAL OFFER

Spring is in full swing and the Y is celebrating with a special bonus points offer for My Y Rewards program participants.

Greater Joliet Area YMCA Facility Members, ages 16 and up, enrolled in the My Y Rewards program will receive triple rewards points every time they check in at the Y between April 21-27. 

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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Know, See, Respond: Greater Joliet Area YMCA Participating in National Five Days of Action Campaign

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s commitment to protecting the children in our community, we’re participating in Five Days of Action® – a week-long campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip us all to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign, and implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, we are committing to the safety of all children in our community.

The Know. See. Respond. campaign is back this year, and Praesidium, Saprea, and Lauren’s Kids have shared resources to support this campaign.

Know

When evaluating camps, sports, and other activities for your child, do you KNOW what questions to ask about abuse prevention? As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults, we play a vital role in protecting children and teens from abuse. Learn the key questions to ask from Praesidium, the YMCA’s partner in child abuse prevention, by clicking here.

See

When we SEE grooming patterns—methodical, subtle, gradual, and escalating behaviors used to groom a child for sexual abuse—we can identify them, strengthen our intuition, and protect children. Our partners from Saprea have put together a list of 6 grooming behaviors every parent or caregiver needs to know and what to do if you see them.

Respond

RESPONDing starts when a child or teen feels heard and is helped. How can you take action to prevent child sexual abuse? The Trusted Triangle (for younger children) and the Safety NETwork (for older youth) are strategies from Lauren’s Kids Safer, Smarter Families Family Safety Toolkit. These resources are designed to help families and caregivers teach personal and digital safety in a comfortable and accessible way.

Grades K-2
Grades 3-5

We take our commitment to child protection seriously and we hope you do too.

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YMCA Kid Zone Registration for the 2025-26 School Year Opens for Facility Members on April 12

We know that learning doesn’t end when the school bell rings. The way your children spend time outside the classroom can make a big difference in their personal development and your family-life balance.

That is why the Y is excited to partner with area school districts to offer our Kid Zone youth enrichment program at schools throughout Joliet, Plainfield, Morris, Bolingbrook, and Romeoville.

Kid Zone provides a safe place for children to keep their mind and body active while learning social skills and positive values. Our caring professionals are committed to helping kids build confidence and character.

Through guided play, children learn to respect themselves and others, work out their differences and discover the value of true friendship, all while in a safe and nurturing environment. Academic support from caring role models enriches your child’s educational experience and enables families to spend more quality time together.

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 12 for Facility Members and at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 19 for Community Members!

REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE

Sign your child(ren) up for Kid Zone by Monday, April 28 and pay a $0 registration fee, a savings of $50!

To learn more about the Kid Zone Program, click here.

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Join the Y During Our 2025 Tax Day Sale

JOIN THE Y ON TAX DAY AND SAVE!

During the Y’s 2025 Tax Day Sale, new and alumni members will pay a $15 Joiner’s Fee, a savings of up to $105.

Valid only on Tuesday, April 15 at any Greater Joliet Area YMCA branch.

OUR FACILITY MEMBERS ENJOY:

Access to Three Branches
Your membership gives you unlimited use of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s three YMCA locations, including:

  • Three indoor pools and our family aquatic center, all fully programmed with activities for the entire family, including family swim time, swim lessons, aquatic fitness programs and lap lane access.
  • Three wellness centers, all equipped with state-of-the-art cardio and strength equipment.
  • Free fitness orientations and daily group exercise classes (programs vary by location).

Quality Programming
In addition to our free group exercise classes, the Y offers year-round swim lessons, sports programs and personal training, among a slew of other options.

Child Care
If you have a Family Membership, you can drop your child(ren) off at our supervised playroom while you exercise.

So Much More
A complete list of member benefits can be found here.

Three CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

C.W. Avery Family YMCA
15120 Wallin Dr, Plainfield, IL 60544

Galowich Family YMCA
749 Houbolt Road, Joliet IL 60431

Morris Hospital YMCA
2200 W. Dupont Avenue, Morris, IL 60450
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United Way