Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

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

You are here: Home / Archives for Social Responsibility

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.

SHARE THIS:

YMCA Announces CN as Official Summer Day Camp Sponsor

YMCA summer day camp programs create opportunities for kids to learn new skills, be creative, build self-confidence, and gain independence in a safe, fun, and nurturing environment. Each summer, hundreds of area children attend summer day camp at the Y, developing new friendships while building a healthy spirit, mind, and body. 

And, as a nonprofit, community-based organization, the Y relies on the generous support of its members, volunteers, donors, and corporate partners to provide these programs for children living in our community.

That is why the Greater Joliet Area YMCA is proud to announce that CN will return as the official sponsor of YMCA Summer Day Camp in 2025 as part of a new three-year partnership. 

“We are incredibly excited to have CN’s continued support as our YMCA Summer Day Camp sponsor,” YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair said. “Summer day camp is one of our largest youth development programs, serving nearly 1,500 kids in our community each year. CN’s generosity will help to ensure that campers throughout Will and Grundy Counties have the opportunity to make memories, go on new adventures, and learn, grow, and thrive at YMCA camp this summer and beyond.”

The Y is set to offer day camp at seven different sites across Will and Grundy Counties this summer. Registration is underway and financial assistance is available. To learn more about YMCA Summer Day Camp, please click here. 

SHARE THIS:

Morris Hospital YMCA Recognized with Partnership Award

The Morris Hospital YMCA, alongside its partners from Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers and the City of Morris, were recently recognized by the Grundy Economic Development Council (GEDC) and the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce with the ‘Partners of the Year Award.’ Presented at the GEDC and Chamber’s annual dinner on March 5, the award recognized the collaborative efforts amongst the Y, the Hospital, and the City to bring the first full-facility YMCA to Grundy County. The Morris Hospital YMCA opened its doors to serve the community in December 2024.

Greater Joliet Area YMCA President and CEO Katy Leclair led a group of YMCA staff on hand to accept the award alongside Morris Advisory Council Chair Kevin Olson, City of Morris Mayor Chris Brown, and Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers President and CEO Tom Dohm.

“The Y would like to thank the GEDC for this incredible honor,” Leclair said. “We know that all the great things that happen every day at the YMCA would not be possible without strong community partnerships. Morris Hospital and the City of Morris have shown an amazing dedication to supporting the Y as we begin a new chapter of serving our community with this facility.”

The Morris Hospital YMCA represents the largest fundraising effort in the history of Grundy County and is now home to more than 6,000 YMCA members. Located just west of Morris Grade School on Dupont Avenue, the new 60,000-square-foot YMCA features an eight-lane lap pool, gym, a state-of-the-art wellness center, a group exercise studio, cycling studio, healthy eating kitchen, and engaging youth play spaces.

To learn more about the new Morris Hospital Y, click here or stop by today! 

SHARE THIS:

Ignite Your Passion: Jeannie Howell’s Y Story

At the YMCA, we are always proud to support members as they strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reach their goals. This includes individuals like Jeannie Howell, who says she has experienced life changing health and wellness results since joining the Galowich Family YMCA in 2008.

“In 2007, a nurse that I worked with helped me make a New Year’s resolution. She said ‘Let’s exercise for at least an hour once or twice a week.’ At that point in time, I weighed 287 pounds and my knees would pop when I would go up and down the stairs. Since then, I’ve lost more than 100 pounds and I’m now off 2 diabetic medicines that I had taken for 30 years,” she said. 

Jeannie says her Y journey began with water aerobics classes and that she eventually found opportunities to explore one of her life’s passions – dance. 

“When I joined the Y, I thought to myself ‘If I start working out here it’s possible for me to become the dancer that I always aspired to be.’ It was step classes, it was line dancing, it was Zumba, it was everything. I was so winded at first because I couldn’t keep up, but my love for dance allowed me to keep going.”

Jeannie said the process of losing weight was slow and measured, but with each step she gained more confidence, eventually participating in local dance competitions.

“I saw changes along the way that gave me confidence. I was able to stay on the dance floor longer and longer. That’s when I knew everything was working,” she said. 

In addition to improving her health, being at the Y allowed Jeannie to build lasting friendships. 

“I’ve made so many connections at the Y. I’m still friends with everyone I met in the first water aerobics classes from 2008. And when I meet up with friends from Zumba classes, sometimes we end up doing the dances right in the bar when music comes on,” she said.

When offering advice to others seeking to improve their health, Jeannie emphasizes that patience has been the most important factor in her health and wellness journey.

“You can’t be in a hurry and you can never quit. Bad habits die hard and it’s never easy. You have to find something you enjoy. So try some of everything and find something that you like. It takes time but it becomes a lifestyle,” she said. 

SHARE THIS:

Community Happens Here: Join the Y During Our Spring Membership Sale

Spring Membership Sale
March 7-10, 2025*

* Valid at any Greater Joliet Area YMCA location. Cannot be combined with any other offers. 

Start your spring off right by joining the Y during our Spring Membership Sale! During this sale, new and alumni members will pay a $0 Joiner’s Fee, a savings of up to $120! With our wide variety of classes and programs, you’ll be sure to find something at the Y for every member of your family.

LEARN MORE

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
  • 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).

Free Basic Access to the YMCA On the Go App
The On the Go App will provide Y members with access to the YMCA 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This new interactive tool is loaded with free workouts, on-demand videos, and nutrition tips.

Free Access to the My Y Rewards Program
Upon enrolling in the My Y Rewards Program, you’ll 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.

Quality Programming
In addition to our free group exercise classes, the Y offers year-round swimming lessons and personal training, among a slew of other options. You can check out a full list of our programming by taking a look at our Spring 2025 Program Session Schedules.

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

*Programs, classes, and amenities vary by location and are subject to change

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS

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

Galowich Family YMCA
749 Houbolt Road
Joliet IL 60431

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

SHARE THIS:

2025 YMCA GALA Nets More Than $295,000 For Mission Strong Fund

It was truly a night to remember as a sold out crowd of more than 500 supporters helped the Greater Joliet Area YMCA raise more than $295,000 at its 2025 Gala on Saturday, February 22, at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. Guests enjoyed an elegant evening that included dinner, entertainment, and the opportunity to bid on exciting silent and live auction items. Funds raised from this year’s record-setting Gala will benefit the YMCA Mission Strong Fund, helping to ensure that no one is turned away from the Y due to the inability to pay. 

Generously presented by Midland States Bank, the 2025 YMCA Gala celebrated charitable giving at the YMCA by showcasing the Y’s impact throughout the community and the generous donors who make its mission come to life each and every day. Now in its 17th year, the Y’s signature fundraising event has raised more than $2 million to provide financial assistance for children, adults, and families living in our community. 

At this year’s Gala, the Y presented the C.W. and J.L. Avery Philanthropic Award to Jackie Wohlwend in recognition of her family’s generous support of the Morris Hospital YMCA, which officially opened its doors to serve the community in December 2024. 

During the “Raise the Paddle” portion of the evening, the Y’s mission was brought to life by showcasing a YMCA story of impact. Guests generously raised their paddles in an auction-style format with individual contributions ranging from $50-$5,000. In total, “Raise the Paddle” contributions eclipsed 83,000 in support of the YMCA’s Mission Strong Fund.

Erick Deshaun Dorris served as the evening’s volunteer auctioneer with assistance from Sounds Abound DJ Tony Ho. Nine exciting packages were sold during the live auction. Items included a weekend trip to New York City, donated by the Greater Joliet Area YMCA Board of Directors and Friends of the YMCA; a four-day getaway to a beautiful vacation home in Minocqua, Wisconsin, generously donated by Judy Avery; and a one-week stay at a waterfront home on Lake Michigan, generously donated by Michael and Susan Lee. The top-grossing items of the night were an in-home, six-course dinner party, generously donated by Tom Grotovsky and a weekend trip to Las Vegas to see Kenny Chesney in concert at The Sphere, generously donated by the Greater Joliet Area YMCA Board of Directors and Friends of the YMCA. 

This year’s Gala volunteer planning committee members included: Madi Brown, Erica Garvey, Maria Macris, Kristin Orban, Kari Ramirez, Whitney Valdivia, and Barb Ziegner. Donnie Chestnutt, Dori Fugate, Carolyn Hamilton, Eileen Scotchlas, and Sarah Slomka provided staff support. 

Sponsors Included:

Presenting Sponsor
-Midland States Bank

Diamond Sponsor
-DIAGEO
-J. Russ and Company, Inc.
-Narvick Bros. General Contractors & Construction Managers

Ruby Sponsors
-Canadian National
-Old National Bank
-Pursuit Wealth Group
-Stockton Wealth Management

Emerald Sponsors
-Aux Sable Liquid Products/Pembina
-Blue Ribbon Products/Constellation Brands
-C. and J. Avery Family Foundation
-D’Arcy Buick GMC
-Edward Jones
-ExxonMobil
-Grundy Bank
-Guy and Jane Christensen
-Hometown National Bank
-Joliet Bank & Trust, A Wintrust Community Bank
-Joliet Junior College
-PFG Therapy
-Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol, LLC
-Rod Baker Ford
-Rousonelos Lean Pork
-TR Miller Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

Sapphire Sponsors
-L DeGeus & Associates
-Lori Bonarek Realty
-Plainfield Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce
-Ron Tirapelli Ford
-Village Flower Shop
-The Ziegner-Orban Family

Pearl Sponsors
-Ascension Saint Joseph-Joliet
-Baish Excavating, Inc.
-Busey Bank
-ComED
-“D” Construction
-Dr. Theresa Rouse
-Joliet Bank & Trust, A Wintrust Community Bank
-R.L. Sohol General Contractor, Inc.
-Turk Furniture
-W Financial Services

Opal Sponsors
-ComEd
-Cuttin Edge Lawn to Landscaping, LLC
-Law Offices of John F. Argoudelis, LLC
-VNA Health Care

In-Kind Support
-Graphic Promotions, Inc.

Save the date and make your plans to join us for the next YMCA Gala, which will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026. We also invite you to participate in the 2025 YMCA Mission Strong Golf Classic, which will be held on Wednesday, September 17. Foursomes for the YMCA’s fourth annual outing will go on sale this summer.

If you supported this year’s Gala and would like to expand the impact of your charitable contribution, we encourage you to explore a potential matching gift from your employer. To make a tax-deductible donation in support of the YMCA Mission Strong Fund, please click here.

SHARE THIS:

United Way