SHARING THE GOOD NEWS!

Laura Waldrum
lauraw@ymcasatx.org
(210) 246-9631

YMCA Welcomes New Chairman of the Board

SAN ANTONIO – Volunteers, donors and staff of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio gathered Tuesday, May 7 to reflect on the successes of 2012 and welcome a new chairman of the board. Jim Hamer, a longtime member and volunteer for the Y, officially took the reigns as “volunteer in chief” for the organization following the successful tenure of outgoing board chair Geoff Crabtree.

 Mr. Hamer recently retired as an Executive Vice President of Broadway Bank after a career in private banking. His family has resided in San Antonio since 1979. As a Y member since the early 1950s, Hamer looks to continue the significant strides the organization has made over recent years. Last year alone, membership at the organization’s 10 wellness facilities grew by 8%, bringing total membership to over 40,000.  

“The Y has a long history of excellence both internationally and right here in our community,” says Hamer. “We are currently 137 years strong in the San Antonio, and year after year we keep exceeding expectations. I am so proud to be associated with this great organization!”

In addition to the health and wellness facilities located across San Antonio, Schertz, New Braunfels and Boerne, the Y also operates five early childhood education centers in San Antonio, numerous after school programs and summer day camps across the area, Camp Flaming Arrow in Hunt, TX and the Y Living Center on San Antonio’s South Side. The Y Living Center was opened in Spring 2012 to address the prevalence of type-2 diabetes in that area.

“Many people may not realize the full scope of what the Y does in the community,” says Hamer. “There will be an increased focus in the coming years on fully articulating our offerings and how we are strengthening the foundations of our community.”

Hamer will serve as the chairman of the board for the Y through the spring of 2015.

For more information about the YMCA of Greater San Antonio and to download a copy of the 2012 Annual Report visit www.ymcasatx.org.

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Contact:
Laura Waldrum
lauraw@ymcasatx.org
(210) 246-9631

“This is an excellent opportunity for the public to come see what the Y is all about,” says Sandy Morander, President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. “Our facilities will be hosting activities on Saturday, May 18 that will give visitors a glimpse of everything that the Y offers, from childcare to summer camp.”

During the open house, the Y will waive the join fee for new members – a $49 value. Additionally, members receive exclusive pricing on other Y programs such as youth sports, summer day camps, swim lessons and more.

“We are much more than a gym, we are a community,” says Morander. “We serve people of all fitness levels, we frequently host events for families, and we even have special events and services for our senior members. We truly have something for everyone.”

Another aspect of the Y that is unique to other health and wellness facilities is the organization's Open Doors Scholarship Program. This program provides financial assistance for individuals and families who typically may not be able to afford a gym membership.  More information regarding the Open Doors Scholarship is available at the Welcome Center in each facility.

For a complete listing of YMCA locations in the Greater San Antonio area and for details about the Open House, visit www.ymcasatx.org.

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Contact: 

Laura Waldrum

YMCA of Greater San Antonio

210.246.9631/lauraw@ymcasatx.org

YMCA Plans Fun-Filled Summer for Children of Deployed Parents

San Antonio, TX – Summer is just around the corner, and the YMCA of Greater San Antonio, in partnership with Military Family Association (NMFA), is hoping to make this summer very special for children of military families. The two organizations are partnering for a third year to offer Operation Purple Camp at the YMCA’s Camp Flaming Arrow. This program provides summer camp scholarships to children of active duty Military families who have experienced or are in the middle of deployment.

“The YMCA summer camp experience is one of the most formative experiences in a young person’s life,” says Bill Hinton, director of YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow. “Through this program, we are able to provide a fun-filled, values-based camp experience while helping children cope with the stress of deployment.”

YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow is located in Hunt, TX on the banks of the Guadalupe River. This one-week camp offers an outdoor fun and adventure in a setting centered on the Y’s core values of caring, honesty respect, responsibility and faith. Camp activities include hiking, swimming, archery, horseback riding, devotion, crafts, and boating and much more.

The June 30-July 6 session of the camp season will be designated as “Military Initiative Week.” During this week the highly trained Camp Flaming Arrow staff will work with mental health professionals sent by NMFA to provide a memorable camp experience customized to children of military families.

The NMFA is helping fund scholarships for 70 children to attend camp at a discount. The Y hopes to fund an additional 70 spots at an even larger discount through the Y’s scholarship fund.  

Your help is needed by March 4 to ensure that as many children can attend camp as possible. Donations can be made at www.ymcacampflamingarrow.org by clicking on the “donations” tab. Donations can also be mailed to YMCA Camp, P.O. Box 770, Hunt, TX 78204.

For more information about Operation Purple Camp visit www.militaryfamily.org.

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Mark your calendars! The Y and H-E-B will host Síclovía on October 7 from 10 am to 3 pm.   Síclovía is a fun, free outdoor event designed to show that physical activity can be fun, no matter your age or fitness level. Broadway Street will be closed to cars, allowing attendees to walk, roll, jog or bike in the open street.  Reclovías will line the route, featuring free fitness demonstrations, healthy food vendors and more.

Síclovía is now a YMCA signature event. The Y will bring you all the fun activities and programs that have always been featured at Síclovía, plus a few new ways to play in the street:

• The Síclovía route has been extended to Alamo Plaza, adding an extra mile to the fun. 
• The first ever Síclovía 5K Run/Walk will kick off the fun Sunday morning.  The race will begin at Alamo Plaza and will head down along the Síclovía route to Mahnke Park. Information about the race, including fees and start time, can be found at register.iaapweb.com.
• We haven’t forgotten about your pets!  This fall, a “Petclovía” will be a placed on the route, providing a place for your pet to rehydrate and have a healthy snack.

This October, Síclovía will be part of a day an entire day of health and wellness known as Alamo City Health Day.  In addition to Síclovía,
H-E-B is sponsoring CULINARIA FEASTIVÁL at Pearl from 12-3 pm.  Visitors will be able to sample healthy foods from area chefs as well as wine seminars and cooking demonstrations.  Tickets are on sale now at your local H-E-B. 

This is a day you will not want to miss!  For more information visit www.siclovia.org

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For immediate release - June 29, 2012

The YMCA of Greater San Antonio graciously recognizes local philanthropist Harvey E. Najim and the Najim Family Foundation for their generous donation of Little Tikes Young Explorer computer units preloaded with Leap Frog educational software that will benefit dozens of children at two local Y

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Early Learning Centers.

The YMCA of Greater San Antonio graciously recognizes local philanthropist Harvey E. Najim and the Najim Family Foundation for their generous donation of Little Tikes Young Explorer computer units preloaded with Leap Frog educational software that will benefit dozens of children at two local Y Early Learning Centers. This week, The Harvey E. Najim YMCA Childcare Center at Haven for Hope and the YMCA Early Learning Center Downtown each received six units, which will allow 12 children (ages 3 to 7) to work simultaneously at each center, to improve their reading and math skills. Additionally, The Najim Family Foundation donated to each center, six sets of Leap Frog Learn to Read Tag Reading Systems – complete with 13 books and reading pens that teach short and long vowel sounds, phonics, vocabulary and reading comprehension to children ages 4 to 8. The Y thanks Harvey E. Najim and the Najim Family Foundation for their total donation valued at approximately $30,000. And the Y appreciates Dean Newell, George Simmons, Larry Kuhlman, and Santina Basham from Sirius Computer Solutions; and Melissa Bauman with The Najim Family Foundation, for their time and enthusiasm to order and install the units that the children are already enjoying.

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Address: 835 W. Southcross, San Antonio, TX 78211 | Phone: 210-924-8858

This past summer, the Y Living Center opened on the city’s south side, incorporating preventative and intervention measures to reduce risk factors for diabetes, cancer and other chronic illness.  Serving this community where obesity rates are alarming at 85 percent, the Y Living Center offers group exercise classes, as well as the medically based Y Living Program.  Following a holistic approach to teach nutrition, exercise and spiritual wellness, the medically based 12-week wellness program involves the whole family in educational seminars and physical activity sessions. 

“We know disease prevention is critical to helping people live longer, healthier lives. With the Y Living Center, the YMCA of Greater San Antonio and its community partners aim to reduce and eliminate health disparities among the city’s most vulnerable populations on the south side,” said Geoffrey Crabtree, YMCA of Greater San Antonio Association Board Chair. “Offering evidence-based wellness programs for the entire family in a values-centric environment demonstrates the Y’s role as a leader in health and well-being initiatives.” 

The Y Living Program is a project in collaboration with UT Health Science Center’s Institute for Health Promotion Research (UTHSC-IHPR), that started in 2011 with families at the Westside Family YMCA.  First year results show positive impact - 30 families and 50 individuals benefited with 83 percent of participants reporting improved physical activity behaviors, and 79 percent reducing their weight and showing improved waist circumference (directly related to occurrence of cancer and diabetes). 

"We've learned so much here, we've made friends, we've changed our habits, we've learned how to eat, we've learned what to eat,” said Program participant Debbie Hill.  “These are lifestyle changes, it's not what you buy at the store in a bottle, these are things that are going to last." 

Additional Y Living Center programs: 

· Salsa, Sabor y Salud (“Food, Fun and Fitness”) – an 8-week interactive, bilingual course developed by the National Latino Children’s Institute (NLCI) and Kraft Foods to raise awareness among Hispanic/Latino families on the importance of good nutrition and increased levels of physical activity, and to encourage healthy lifestyle habits for families. Families will participate in sessions that reinforce the importance of achieving “energy balance” through healthier food choices and increased levels of physical activity. This is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's “Let's Move” initiative. 

· Y Preschool Wellness – provides children with structured activities and lessons to encourage and foster a healthy lifestyle at an early age. Creates a free play that is carefully planned to provide opportunities for children to acquire and fine-tune basic locomotors and motor skills. 

· Y Summer Youth Express – also part of First Lady Michelle Obama's “Let's Move” initiative, and as a participant in the in the Texas Department of Agriculture Summer Food Service Program, program provides youth with free USDA-regulated lunches during the summer, as well as opportunities to engage in daily Fit Kids activities, and the "Get a Clue" Summer Library Program. Participants will be coached on the importance of lifelong wellness for Spirit, Mind, and Body. 

Diabetes is a leading cause of death in Bexar County, and affects 16 percent of south side residents, compared to only 7 to 8 percent among north side residents.  Additionally, cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Hispanics (approximately 97 percent of residents in the Y Living Center’s service area are Hispanic). 

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