YMCA News Archive

Dayton YMCA: Queenax Workout

jeffrey.needham — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Dayton YMCA: Queenax Workout jeffrey.needham Tue, 01/30/2018 - 00:00

The new Dayton YMCA in downtown Minneapolis is home to a brand new way to get in shape. They're turning fitness fun with virtual reality and now have a new group fitness class that looks more like a playground. It’s called Queenax and an entire group fitness class can use one piece of gym equipment at the same time. Twin Cities Live reporter Kelli Hanson takes us inside.

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Downtown YMCA: Virtual Reality Fitness

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Downtown YMCA: Virtual Reality Fitness jeffrey.needham Mon, 01/29/2018 - 00:00

Last week the new downtown YMCA opened its doors to current and new members. It's new home is at Gaviidae Commons, which used to be home to retailers and fast food restaurants. Now it's a gym unlike any other. That's because the Douglas Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae in downtown Minneapolis is an incubator for the latest fitness technology. Twin Cities Live reporter Kelli Hanson takes us there to show us how they're turning fitness into fun with virtual reality.

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YMCA, you’ll find it at the Gaviidae

jeffrey.needham — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

YMCA, you’ll find it at the Gaviidae jeffrey.needham Thu, 01/25/2018 - 00:00

At first glance, the new Douglas Dayton YMCA in Gaviidae Common seems to contain a bit too much open air and not enough big spans of floor space for working out.

The facility, which opens to members Friday, occupies 105,000 square feet of space on five floors of the former downtown retail center at 651 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. Rising through the middle of it is Gaviidae’s signature atrium, largely cutting the facility in half.

Gaviidae’s design – never intended for a health club – forced the YMCA of the North and HGA Architects to carefully carve out space for a basketball gym, a swimming pool and group fitness rooms. It was a small price to pay, said Greg Waibel, the Twin Cities YMCA’s chief operating officer, because the views of workout facilities through the multi-story atrium are the Y’s best advertising.

“It was one of the things that really attracted us,” he said Thursday at an open house.

The facility has been under construction for 580 days and will see the last workers leave the site the first week in February, Waibel said. The YMCA, which is moving from its longtime location at LaSalle Plaza at 30 Ninth St. S., spent $30 million to renovate a building once best known for its Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

Those stores and others have since closed, leaving much of Gaviidae Common vacant. The YMCA announced in February 2016 that it would move, and later won support for the project from the city, which approved a $15 million bond issuance to help finance the project.

Mayor Jacob Frey, who served on the City Council at that time, said that the YMCA’s plans got his attention.

“This project, when it was first introduced to me at the city, I was so intrigued,” he said at the open house.

Golden Valley-based RJM Construction is still on site to finish the YMCA’s swimming pool and outdoor rooftop workout area. The project involved 41 subcontractors and as many as 150 construction workers on the job daily, said RJM spokeswoman Mindy Bohumolski.

Glen Gunderson, president and CEO of YMCA of the North, said during Thursday’s event that the YMCA is “innovative.” Along with the health club, it features a leadership training center, business incubator space, and office space for the organization’s corporate staff.

But it is the health club that has all the shiny, fancy bits. It features a stationary cycling studio with an interactive display showing how everyone in the room is performing. One of the group fitness studios comes with a light show worthy of a nightclub, and members can sign up to use one of two hydrotherapy massage beds after a hard workout on cardio or strength training equipment. The YMCA even has demonstration models of virtual reality fitness machines.

All the workout equipment and space are spread across the third, fourth and fifth floors of Gaviidae Common. The YMCA is also leasing 3,400 square feet of space on the first two floors of the building.

The facility’s splashiest accessory — a 25-yard long, four-lane swimming pool on the fourth floor – was also one of the most challenging. To reduce the pool’s weight and stress on a building designed for retail use, HGA Architects ordered a pool basin fabricated from one-eighth-inch thick stainless steel. Typically, such a pool would have an 8-inch concrete basin, according to the YMCA staff.

Although it might seem like a lot of expense and trouble just to move a few blocks across town, Waibel said the YMCA made the move, in part, to increase the health club’s connection to skyway traffic and the growing residential population. The site currently sees about 29,000 people using skyways at Gaviidae, according to numbers provided by the YMCA. Its LaSalle Plaza location sees fewer than 9,000.

The YMCA also estimates that 36,000 people work within two blocks of the new facility, triple the number in the same proximity to the LaSalle YMCA. More than 1,800 people also live within two blocks of Gaviidae, up from 380 near LaSalle.

The YMCA expects the new location will help increase membership from the current 3,100 to 5,000 by the end of 2018, Waibel said.

The YMCA is moving all of its downtown operations to Gaviidae Common. It will sell the 118,000-square-foot facility at LaSalle Plaza and the 28,000-square-foot headquarters building at 2125 Hennepin Ave. E. The Minneapolis office of CBRE is marketing the LaSalle property as office space and the YMCA is in talks with a potential buyer, Waibel said. The asking price for the property is $10.5 million, according to CoStar.

The YMCA purchased the Gaviidae space in 2016 for $9.9 million. It later sold 51,000 square feet of that space to United Properties for its headquarters for $2.35 million, said YMCA spokeswoman Joan Schimml.

The YMCA has raised $10 million in donations to pay for the new location. It will also use proceeds from selling its property at LaSalle Plaza and on Hennepin Avenue East to pay for the project.

The new location was named after Douglas Dayton, the biggest donor to the YMCA of the North, according to the YMCA. He also was the first president of Target Corp., when it was owned by the Dayton’s department store family.

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New Downtown YMCA: One of Its Kind

jeffrey.needham — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

New Downtown YMCA: One of Its Kind jeffrey.needham Thu, 01/25/2018 - 00:00

There are some big changes happening in downtown Minneapolis ahead of the Super Bowl, but there have been construction crews down there for over a year planning and building something more permanent. The new Douglas Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae in downtown Minneapolis opens on January 26th, but Twin Cities Live reporter Kelli Hanson got to get inside earlier this week to try out a few classes. The new Minneapolis location is an incubator for the latest fitness technology. Kelli tried out one of their new classes called Fitscape where changing lights and moving images enhance your workout experience.

Learn more about the new YMCA Minneapolis location here.

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YMCA CycleHealth Hosts Fourth Annual Kidarod to Promote Kids’ Wellness February 24

jeffrey.needham — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 17:44:20 +0000

YMCA CycleHealth Hosts Fourth Annual Kidarod to Promote Kids’ Wellness February 24 jeffrey.needham Wed, 01/24/2018 - 11:44

Maple Grove, MN – CycleHealth, a kid-powered wellness initiative of the YMCA of the North (YGTC), a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will host the fourth annual Kidarod at Fish Lake Regional Park on Saturday, February 24, from 4 to 7:00 p.m. New this year, the event includes a family racing hour at 4:00 p.m., followed by kid-only glow racing from 5 to 7:00 p.m.

For the first time in American history, kids have a shorter life expectancy than their parents due to factors such as a sedentary lifestyle and declining participation in organized sports. The Kidarod, the nation’s largest winter adventure race for kids ages seven to 17, is embraced by pediatricians in more than 50 Twin Cities pediatric clinics as a way to motivate kids to get active. The event also marks the conclusion of CycleHealth’s Sweat 1000 challenge, which encourages kids and families to get active outside in the weeks leading up to the race.

The Kidarod is a partnership between YGTC CycleHealth and Three River Parks District that is an adventure race which includes trail running, hill-climbing, hiking, obstacles, sliding and more. The event will attract upwards of 600 youth participants (plus some parents in the first family racing hour) and will feature fun activities in addition to the race, including snowshoeing and fat bike demos, plus sled rides from husky sled dogs. For more information, visit cyclehealth.org.

“We are thrilled to provide unique wellness opportunities for kids,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO of the Y. “When we empower young people to develop healthy habits early, we set them up for future success.”

WHO:
YMCA of the North CycleHealth and Three River Parks District

WHAT:
Fourth Annual Kidarod

WHERE:
Fish Lake Regional Park at 14900 Bass Lake Road in Maple Grove, MN 55311

WHEN:
Saturday, February 25, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

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About the YMCA of the North

The YMCA of the North is a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Established 161 years ago, the Ys provide life-strengthening services across the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities. The 29 Y locations and program sites, seven overnight camps, 10 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 350,000 men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit www.ymcamn.org.

YMCA Offers Savings on Summer Programs During Rally Days March 1-6

jeffrey.needham — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 17:44:20 +0000

YMCA Offers Savings on Summer Programs During Rally Days March 1-6 jeffrey.needham Wed, 01/24/2018 - 11:44

Minneapolis, MN –The YMCA of the North (YGTC), a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, will be offering discounts on YMCA Summer Programs during Rally Days from Thursday, March 1 to Tuesday, March 6.

As part of Rally Days, participating Y locations will host a YMCA Summer Program Fair on Saturday, March 3 from 9:30 a.m. to Noon. Members of the Y and community can visit YMCA locations around the metro to learn more about Y Summer Programs, ask questions and meet the program staff while kids participate in fun activities.

“At the Y, our goal is to create a summer full of learning and new adventures that suits everyone,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO of the Y. “During Rally Days, families can save up to $50 on registration for a variety of summer programs including day and overnight camps, summer sports and flexible childcare options.”

For more information on YMCA Summer Programs, visit ymcamn.org/summer.

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About the YMCA of the North

YMCA's new center on Nicollet Mall to be named for Douglas Dayton

jeffrey.needham — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

YMCA's new center on Nicollet Mall to be named for Douglas Dayton jeffrey.needham Fri, 01/19/2018 - 00:00

In 1964, the late businessman Doug Dayton applied to join the board of what is now the YMCA of the North.

Dayton, 39 at the time, wrote on his application that he had “no special talents.”

To the contrary, Dayton, since 1952, had volunteered at a YMCA camp.

Dayton, a hands-on guy, had helped plant 100,000 trees at Camp Ihduhapi. And he had plenty of other experience.

Dayton dropped out of college and made sergeant in the Army before returning to school after combat-decorated service in Europe.

Moreover, Doug Dayton was one of the brothers who took their Dayton’s department stores from local operator to regional powerhouse after World War II. Dayton, in the early 1960s, also started Target for the Dayton Co., which became the company’s centerpiece as it grew to one of America’s largest retailers.

The late Doug Dayton’s legacy of generosity has lived on beyond his 2013 death, embodied in the new downtown YMCA.

Over more than a half century, Dayton donated or raised around $60 million for YMCA buildings and programs.

Dayton, who died at 88 in 2013, is still giving.

His foundation, as well as some family members and acquaintances who seek to honor his memory, is investing several million dollars in what will open later this month as the Douglas Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae in downtown Minneapolis.

“Doug loved the YMCA,” said his widow, Wendy Dayton. “I’m just carrying his torch.”

Doug Dayton, also an avid conservationist who served numerous community causes as volunteer and donor, particularly liked the YMCA because it was common ground for people from all backgrounds and incomes. (Full disclosure: The YMCA is the only club that would ever have me as a dues-paying member.)

Doug Dayton left Dayton Hudson Corp. in 1971 to invest in small businesses. Dayton, a shrewd businessman who knew something about location and leasing, also would appreciate the financial and real estate move the YMCA is making to replace its 30-year-old headquarters and flagship health center on several floors of the LaSalle Plaza building on 9th Street and Lasalle Avenue.

CEO Glen Gunderson of the YMCA of the North said the investment in vacant-but-prime real estate at 6th and Nicollet Mall will cost the YMCA only about “net $15 million.”

The buy-and-remodel cost of the YMCA’s Gaviidae location is about $30 million. Gunderson and his team plan to sell the LaSalle Plaza space, which is assessed at more than the $10 million by Hennepin County.

The new Nicollet Mall location, at the heart of downtown, is designed to drive membership, increase visibility and enhance its ability to work with corporate and nonprofit partners. The YMCA will vacate 110,000 square feet it owns in the LaSalle Plaza building to move to about 105,000 square feet in Gaviidae.

The Douglas Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae, including a new association headquarters, will boast more state-of-the-art equipment, a pool, fitness and health programs, including massage, and a rooftop facility. It will include the George Wellbeing Center, funded by the Bill and Penny George Foundation. It will integrate stress-reducing exercises with lifestyle coaching, nutrition counseling, meditation and related therapies.

Doug Dayton, a practical guy and kind of the “common man” among the larger-than-life Dayton brothers, may have scratched his head over some of these 21st-century health innovations. For him, the key was that all stakeholders, regardless of means, would all benefit from the YMCA.

There will be millionaires and foundations contributing to the new downtown YMCA, and members tossing in a few bucks to a few thousand.

Doug Dayton liked the all-in funding model.

It was my honor to interview Doug Dayton a few months before his 2013 death.
And he told me, from his wheelchair but still strong of spirit shortly before his death, that he greatly enjoyed serving the common good.

“You bet your life it is [satisfying],” Dayton said. “After all, we made our life off the community.”

Years after Target Corp. sold Dayton’s, including its flagship downtown store, it will be good to have the “Dayton” name back on the Nicollet Mall.

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YMCA CEO Glen Gunderson's Perspective on Programs to Strengthen Mind and Spirit

jeffrey.needham — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 14:35:39 +0000

YMCA CEO Glen Gunderson's Perspective on Programs to Strengthen Mind and Spirit jeffrey.needham Wed, 01/17/2018 - 08:35

YMCA CEO Glen Gunderson's Perspective on Programs to Strengthen Mind and Spirit

As a culture, we are facing all kinds of challenges: The 24/7 news cycle, the expectations of bosses that are ever-increasing, family life demands and much more. In this digital age, we don’t seem to have time to fully and effectively unplug, even for minutes.

Are we ever far away from our smart phone or connected watch?

The pace of life keeps cranking up — and technology isn’t slowing down.

Our devices and communication vehicles only speed up every single year.

I feel we’re reaching a breaking point, as human beings, on how information travels and how we communicate, and we’re just trying to hang on instead of thriving.

And that pressure surely impacts the mental health crisis we are facing in our country.

That’s why I really love “Journey to Freedom.” It’s perhaps one of the most transformational programs we’ve brought on. It’s a powerful idea on a number of levels.

First, it creates a safe space for folks to be real and stop pretending. There’s so much focus on filters and likes, I wonder if we’ve devalued the power of expressing ourselves in a vulnerable way.

I was so moved by the story of Diane Schnell, the member services director at the New Hope Y. She likens her life to “Groundhog’s Day.”

“I was not finding joy in things I used to love doing,” Diane says in a video (YMCA Journey to Freedom: Diane’s Story). “I know now, having gone through the process, that I had been definitely struggling with depression.”

When she bravely shared with the group, she shed lots of tears, realizing she had been honest with herself for the first time in years. Though there was some fear, Diane continued to read the book and was moved by the group discussions.

But Diane’s story provides a reminder of a second blessing to the program: Those who are comfortable with their own vulnerability can be better leaders.

Anyone and everyone we’re serving at the Y is human and has foibles and stresses. As leaders, if we act in a way that’s above that brokenness or vulnerability, it can come across as inauthentic. It’s hard for team members to relate to you.

I was fortunate to work with such a leader, Kyle Rolfing. I knew right away that he was very different from the leaders I had worked for in the past.

“After I met him, I called my wife and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, but a CEO can be a nice guy!’ ”

Kyle is humble, transparent, knows who he is and wants to build a leadership team that wants to know who they are as well. He wasn’t autocratic and didn’t foster fear. Kyle knew what he was good at and what he was not good at and professed that. He nurtured a positive environment and truly wanted to lead for good.

I’ll never forgot one opportunity he provided me. I was new to the organization and hadn't yet presented to the board. I was preparing for a board meeting, and I thought I was prepping Kyle. But he said,”Wait, I want you to present that. You’re the expert.”

It made me feel like I could go through a brick wall! But Kyle was very effective at building people up.

Diane has experienced what Kyle excelled at. Through Journey to Freedom, she has been able to develop a deeper connection with her team of 28.

“I was always trying to be the super boss,” Diane says. “As soon as I let them in, they started to work harder for me.”

I think about my team all the time. At the Y, we are all caretakers, in a lot of ways. We carry the burdens of individuals and communities, day in and day out.

That’s not always pleasant.

That leads to a third blessing about Journey to Freedom: There’s a powerful spiritual element. So many people think of the Y and think of the swimming pool or gym, or fitness equipment. But the program offers so much more and focuses on the values of the Y mission.

“It’s the mind and body,” Y member Terry Killian says in a video (YMCA Health and Wellness: Mind-Body Connection). “The mind and body follow each other. It’s just a circle and enhances your whole being and personality.”

I return again to Diane, who shares that she was struggling with her spirituality for a few years and was weighed down by guilt.

“I felt I had put God on a shelf for a long time,” she says. “The group helped me open up spiritually.”

Diane says Journey to Freedom immediately helped her began to heal her relationship with her mother.

It’s incredibly rewarding to think that’s happening. The program’s intention is to serve the community. But guess what? Our team members are a part of our community! If they are well, they can more effectively serve.

Now that’s worth celebrating!

YMCA Supports Young People through Mentoring Programs and Positive Role Models

jeffrey.needham — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 17:01:18 +0000

YMCA Supports Young People through Mentoring Programs and Positive Role Models jeffrey.needham Tue, 01/09/2018 - 11:01

YMCA Supports Young People through Mentoring Programs and Positive Role Models

According to the National Mentoring Partnership, youth at risk for falling off track are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college and 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions when they had a mentor in their lives.
According to Youth.Gov, studies show that youth who form supportive, healthy relationships with mentors are less likely to initiate alcohol and drug use.
The National Mentoring Partnership reports that studies show every dollar invested in quality youth mentoring programs yields a three-dollar return in benefits to society at a minimum.

The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, offers educational and enrichment programs for youth that encourage supportive relationships with mentors and positive adult role models.

Studies show that young people who have mentors in their lives are less likely to engage in risky behaviors and more likely to pursue postsecondary education or hold leadership positions. The YMCA provides programs that connect young people of all ages and backgrounds to caring adult mentors and role models and works to identify and eliminate barriers to participation.

“Youth development is a key tenet of the YMCA’s mission,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO for the Y. “Our programs create safe spaces for young people to learn, grow, and be themselves, and to receive support and guidance from positive adult role models.”

Gunderson added that the YMCA offers an array of youth-oriented programs for all ages and backgrounds, including:

Child care programs for kids ages six weeks to five years to learn and grow from trained teachers and early childhood experts
School Age Care programs, including Beacons in Minneapolis and School Success in St. Paul, that provide engaging enrichment programs before and after school and allow young people to learn from positive adult role models outside the classroom
Camps that allow young people to develop relationships with caring counselors while experiencing the great outdoors
Youth sports programs that provide opportunities to build confidence and gain new skills while receiving encouragement and support from Y coaches
Teen Thrive programs that allow older youth to experience leadership opportunities and learn from Y team members
Youth Intervention Services, which connects young people facing barriers with Y life coaches who provide resources and support to encourage future success

See how the Y’s child care programs provide opportunities for students and teachers to grow with the support of an assessment and behavior coach – YMCA Child Care: Supporting Student and Teacher Growth.

Discover how Y Beacons Scholars Coaches provide support during the school day at Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary School to help students succeed in reading and math – YMCA Mentoring: Beacons Scholars Coaches.

Learn how participants in the Y’s Beacons program at Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary School have learned entrepreneurship skills from their mentor – YMCA Beacon Students Discover Entrepreneurship.

Because the Y is a leading nonprofit committed to helping all young people thrive, financial assistance is available to those in need. With the generous support of community members, the Y ensures that all have the opportunity to participate.

Wellbeing Center to be part of new downtown Minneapolis YMCA

jeffrey.needham — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Wellbeing Center to be part of new downtown Minneapolis YMCA jeffrey.needham Sat, 01/06/2018 - 00:00

When Penny George was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, she said it was “as much a spiritual assault as it was a physical one.”

George, a retired psychologist and wife of former Medtronic CEO Bill George, received top-notch medical care to fight the cancer. But she also pursued other treatments such as meditation, acupuncture, yoga, massage and health coaching from a friend.

“I had to be responsible for myself. It was more than the chemo and surgery that needed to be part of my healing path,” George said.

Inspired by that experience, Penny and Bill George and the George Family Foundation are giving $2.5 million to create the George Wellbeing Center at the Greater Twin Cities YMCA’s new downtown Minneapolis location, the first of its kind at any Y in the country.

The George Center will offer evidence-based, integrative health practices — addressing the wide range of issues that can affect health, not just physical — that are shown to reduce stress, promote healing and improve health outcomes.

The George Family Foundation has also funded the Penny George Institute at Allina Health, the largest integrative medicine program within a health care system in the country.

Penny George, who co-founded the foundation with her husband, said that affordable and community-based programming outside a medical setting is the next frontier in health care.

“Our goal is to create a healthier America,” she said. “Self-care is the true primary care. People are the central agents of their own health and well-being, but they need knowledge and access to tools.”

The YMCA, with its deep community ties and long-term commitment to mind, body and spirit, is a natural partner, she said. The Y also ensures that services are available to people of all economic means and backgrounds.

Assessing overall health

The new 3,500-square-foot center will be open to Y members and nonmembers and occupy the second floor of the new YMCA at Gaviidae Common on Nicollet Mall and 6th Street, slated to open later this month. It will include four treatment rooms offering health coaching, nutrition guidance, acupuncture, massage, hydromassage, aromatherapy, mediation and yoga. It will also offer well-being assessments that go beyond the scale or the treadmill, said Cassie Rood, the Y’s vice president of healthy living.

The assessments will focus on a person’s overall social, emotional and physical health, along with the often personal reasons that he or she wants to maintain or improve their health. Those reasons may include enriching their family life, excelling in their career, doing more traveling or expanding their social circle.

Glen Gunderson, president and CEO of the Y, said the George Center reflects society’s growing realization that the health care system is really a sick care system and that individuals want more tools to maintain physical and emotional health than simply those that treat it once they fall ill.

Americans “spend more per capita [on health] than any place on the globe and 50 to 70 percent of those costs are lifestyle-related. We wait for disease to manifest and we treat it,” Gunderson said. But the Y and the George Family Foundation, he said, are “intent on getting upstream and providing a holistic approach.”

The George Center will provide holistic care options for children, teens and families — teaching youngsters coping skills to deal with anxiety, stress and depression.

Taking care of body, mind

Gayle Ober, president of the George Family Foundation, said the center reflects a new understanding of how people today interact with health care.

“Health care is so expensive. People are opting not to go to the doctor for every little thing. People are opting to do a whole lot more self-care,” she said.

Penny and Bill George refocused the work of the George Family Foundation, created in 1994, to include funding integrative health, spirituality and mindfulness after Penny George’s cancer.

The foundation, with about $63 million in assets, awards about $3.8 million in grants to nearly 80 organizations each year.

Penny George said her work in holistic wellness is rooted in her life story. She grew up in rural Maryland, the daughter of a doctor who sometimes visited his patients’ homes on horseback. Both her grandfathers were ministers, and she became a psychologist while her husband led one of Minnesota’s best-known medical device makers.

Penny George said she anticipated that doctors will refer patients to the Y’s new center. She also hopes the George Center’s programs will spread to Ys across Minnesota and the country.

“There has been a growing shift in consciousness that was unimaginable 40 years ago,” she said.

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