YMCA News Archive

YMCA Offers Tips for Safe Swimming for Fourth of July Holiday Weekend and During COVID-19

jeffrey.needham — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 15:07:19 +0000

YMCA Offers Tips for Safe Swimming for Fourth of July Holiday Weekend and During COVID-19 jeffrey.needham Mon, 06/29/2020 - 10:07

Families can bring children to the Y for a free swim assessment and water safety tips on July 13-17

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, provides water safety tips to help kids, teens, adults and families enjoy lakes, rivers and pools during the Fourth of July holiday weekend and throughout the summer months.

In the summer of COVID-19, water safety is important with fewer pools with lifeguards, limited access to swimming lessons, more families spending time outside around the water and more pools coming into backyards.

Safety tips to practice in and around the water include below and on video: YMCA Swim Safety 2020

Never swim alone.
Constantly and actively watch children in an adult’s care.
Always keep young children or non-swimmers within arm’s reach of parent or guardian.
Remember inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.
Be wary of inflatables because a poke or blown valve can turn into a dangerous situation quickly for a child relying on it to float.
Don’t engage in breath holding activities.
Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water rather use a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety.
Enroll children and non-swimmers in water safety or swim lessons.
Be mindful of the hazards of backyard pools with standing water around because kids can fall down or can’t get out and infants or preschoolers can climb or crawl in. To be safe:
- Install barriers around the pool like a fence.
- Know CPR.
- Guarantee that every child in the backyard pool who cannot swim wears a lifejackets.
- Provide constant supervision.
- Make sure there is a way to climb out of the pool if it’s too tall to step out of.
Remember to keep a distance, and if a beach looks or feels too crowded, go find a different spot to hang out away from the crowd.
Keep kids safe when adults are also engaged in fun is incredibly important. A simple tip for parents near any kind of water this summer is to take the Abbey’s Hope Foundation Water Watchdog pledge. As a Water Watchdog, an adult agrees to:
- Maintain constant visual contact with the children in the group.
- Not drink alcohol, talk on the phone, socialize or read while watching children.
- Keep a phone near the water for emergency purposes only.
- Remain by the water until relieved by a new Water Watchdog.
- Makes sure kids are respecting social distancing and giving space to other swimmers and beachgoers.

“The YMCA is committed to saving lives through water safety programs and education,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO for the Y. “Each year our Y reaches over 4,000 people through the Safety Around Water program alone. Thanks to partnerships with Abbey’s Hope, Delta Air Lines and Hawkins Inc., we are able to offer this program free of charge so all can access life-saving lessons and skills.”

The YMCA Safety Around Water program teaches youth what they need to do to stay safe in pools, lakes and rivers. In addition to learning what to do if a friend is in trouble, youth develop skills to help if they find themselves in the water unexpectedly:

Jump, Push, Turn and Grab – teaches a child to push off the bottom of the pool as they are submerging to get back up to the surface and turn to grab the side of the pool.
Swim, Float, Swim – teaches children to swim a short distance on their front, roll over on their back to rest, and then roll on their front to continue swimming to safety.

Gunderson added that parents are encouraged to take an active role in fostering a relationship between their children and swimming. The Y offers several programs promoting the benefits of swimming and featuring them in the month of July.

July is Water Skills and Safety Month at the Y

During the week of July 13-17, families can bring children to the Y for a free swim assessment and water safety tips. YMCA trained instructors will help get youth ready for lessons and a safe summer by the pool. Check with a local Y to find out when instructors will be available – either 10 a.m.-11 a.m. or 5 p.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Y Swim Lessons July 20 Through August: The Y’s swim lessons for infants, kids and teens are the most accessible community resource to prevent drowning and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming. The Y serves all ages in the pool from six months to adults. The YMCA offers a limited amount of free swim lessons each year and people can apply online at www.ymcamn.org/freelessons.
Competitive Swim: YMCA competitive swimming and diving teams are the natural progression from Safety Around Water and Y Swim Lessons by encouraging children and teens to continue their love of swimming while providing an ideal environment for cognitive, physical and social-emotional development.
Lifeguards and Swim Instructors: The YMCA offers training and job opportunities to help teach the community how to be safe in and around the water.

Because the Y is a leading nonprofit committed to helping all young people and their families thrive, financial assistance is available to those in need. To learn more about the Y’s programs, please visit www.ymcamn.org.

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 164 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, eight overnight camps, 10 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 370,000 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 Introduces 7Summits - a Free, Virtual Cardio, Strength and Mindfulness Challenge Kids Can Do Anytime, Anywhere This Summer

jeffrey.needham — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:25:26 +0000

YMCA Introduces 7Summits - a Free, Virtual Cardio, Strength and Mindfulness Challenge Kids Can Do Anytime, Anywhere This Summer jeffrey.needham Tue, 06/23/2020 - 09:25

Five-minute activities to “climb” the world’s seven tallest mountains at 12bursts.org

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, launched 7Summits, a virtual expedition where kids do short bursts of activity anytime, anywhere to climb the highest peaks on each continent.

The activities are designed to get kids moving and thinking as well as support parents in keeping the whole family healthy and active.

“We know families are still spending a lot of time at home and getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity is tough,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO of the YMCA. “7Summits makes being active fun for kids and allows them to earn progress up and down the biggest mountains in the world.”

12Bursts.org is designed to help kids and families engage with the YMCA virtually from the comfort of where they are at whether it be at home, park or anywhere. With 7Summits, kids “climb” the seven highest mountains in the world by completing 10 plus activity bursts per day, all while learning about the mountains themselves. The activities range from 5 – 15 minutes and the mountains include:

Mount Vinson (Antarctica)
Mount Elbrus (Europe)
Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa)
Denali (North America)
Aconcagua (South America)
Mount Everest (Asia)
Mount Kosciuszko (Australia)

About the YMCA of the North

YMCA Announces New Members to Board of Directors

jeffrey.needham — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 17:03:56 +0000

YMCA Announces New Members to Board of Directors jeffrey.needham Thu, 06/18/2020 - 12:03

Minneapolis, MN – The YMCA of the North, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, recently elected at its annual meeting six new members to its board of directors.

The newly elected members serving a three-year term as board directors for the class of 2023 include:

Siyad Abdullahili, Founder & CEO, Pro-Health Care, Inc.
Wendy Dayton, Community Volunteer
Bill Guidera, Head of US State Policy, Netflix
Shelley Kendrick, President & CEO, Ecumen
Bruno Lavandier, Senior Vice President, Ecolab
Dick Zehring, Real Estate & Development, Retired, Former Greater St. Paul YMCA Board Chair

In addition, community board representatives were appointed to serve a one-year term to the General Board and include:

Amit Patel, Founder & CEO, Vios Medical, St. Paul Eastside YMCA Community Board – New Board Member
Jennifer Gale, River Heights Chamber of Commerce, West St. Paul YMCA Community Board
Bjorn Gunnerud, Community Leader, CycleHealth Community Board
Clarence Jones, Community Engagement Consultant, Cora McCorvey YMCA Community Board
Robert Thompson, Mairs & Powers, St. Paul Downtown YMCA Community Board

"The appointment of these board members represents the best and brightest leaders in our community to help guide the YMCA to better serve the youth, adults, families and seniors in the greater Twin Cities metro region, southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin so all can thrive,” said Glen Gunderson, president and CEO of the YMCA. “Their knowledge, skills and expertise along with their commitment to our community will be invaluable to the Y as we implement our strategic plan to eliminate disparities and eradicate unjust systems as we serve all.”

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 164 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, eight overnight camps, 8 day camps, and more than 90 child care sites engage more than 370,000 men, women and children of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. To learn more about the Y’s mission and work, visit www.ymcamn.org.

Take What You Need. Leave What You Can.

jeffrey.needham — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:29:46 +0000

Take What You Need. Leave What You Can. jeffrey.needham Wed, 06/03/2020 - 12:29

Essential Supply Drive at YMCA Locations Across the Greater Twin Cities Supports Community

YMCA Community Response Hubs serving our community are further expanding their efforts to provide and gather most critical supplies requested by neighbors who need our help.

Take what you need

If you need help with basic necessities, please visit your closest Y and they will help you get what you need.

Leave what you can

Please see the list below of basic necessities needed and drop them off at your closest Y location. Y staff will be delivering supplies to Y locations who are serving youth, families, adults and seniors in Minneapolis and St. Paul who need our help.

Diapers/Wipes
Baby Food/Formula
First Aid Supplies
Feminine Hygiene Supplies
Essential Toiletries
Laundry Detergent
Non-Perishable Food
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Face Masks
Dish Soap
Ziplock Bags
Tissue

For a list of YMCAs that are drop off and distributions sites, please go to www.ymcamn.org/locations.

Thank you for your support. We are stronger together.