Rye YMCA Blog

Flood Recovery Updates

• We reopened the Fitness Center on Monday and it was so great to see our members again! The youth locker rooms are available for changing.
• We welcomed back children for sports, gymnastics, dance and music and movement classes. (Please note that many areas of the facility are under construction and not safe to enter. When entering and leaving, make sure your children do not venture into a construction zone.
• Our Pre-School enrichment program started on Tuesday in the 3rd floor Member Lounge.
• Our new Early Learning Center, full-day child care for ages 18mos-5years, started at a temporary site at Rye Rec.
• We restarted group exercise classes at the Y on Wednesday, a few days earlier than planned. Our schedule includes indoor cycling (in the Group Ex studio) and several new classes. We will also continue to offer Zoom classes. Please click here to view the schedule
• Starting Monday, October 11, we will offer the following in the gymnasium: Open Gym: Monday-Friday from 12-1pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from 7-9pm and Wednesday from 8-9pm. Family Basketball: Saturday from 12-4pm and Teen Basketball: Saturday from 4-6pm. Reservations required – up to 48 hours in advance.

• We hope to open the pools later this month. Update – 10/19.  A pipe broke at the Carver Center which caused extensive flooding in the pool area.  The pool is closed until further notice. We will be opening the Pa Cope pool on Monday for lap swimmers. The Darien YMCA and the New Rochelle YMCA are also accommodating our members until we can reopen our pools. If you plan to use these facilities, please click here for detailed information about their guidelines for visitors.
• We are now open Sunday from 8am-1pm. Our facility hours are below.

Friday, October 1

Dear Rye Y members,

Thank you for your patience and understanding during the past month. We are excited to announce that our facility we will partially reopen starting this Monday.

On Monday, October 4:
The Fitness Center will reopen at 5:30am. The 2nd floor youth locker rooms will be available for changing only. We currently have no hot water.
All registered programs that are held in the gymnasium will restart at the Y. This includes youth sports, gymnastics, gymnastics team and pre-team, dance, tot gym and baby & me classes. Rock Your World with Armelle will also start in the Y ‘s Group Ex studio.
The Pre-School Enrichment program will start on Tuesday in the 3rd floor Member Lounge.
Our After School program will continue at the Osborn School.

On Monday, October 11:
Group Exercise classes at the Rye Y will restart. (Exact schedule TBA)

Our open gym schedule will start soon – date TBA.
Please note that the elevator is not yet working.

Facility Hours as of Monday, October 4
Monday-Friday: 5:30am-9pm
Saturday: 7am-6pm
Sunday: 8am-1pm
Face masks are required for everyone, ages 2 and up

Next Steps and other info:

We are making progress on restoring both the Pa Cope and Brookside Pool. We hope to reopen the pools around October 18.

Our members have praised the Carver Center pool for its cleanliness and large windows – as well as the opportunity to see familiar staff and swimmers. See below for details.

• Lap swimmers may use the Carver Center pool in Port Chester and make reservations through our reservation system. The hours listed are reserved for Rye Y members and the pool is staffed by Rye Y staff. The Darien YMCA is also accommodating our members until we can reopen our pools. (The New Rochelle pool is still closed.) If you plan to use these facilities, please click here for detailed information about their guidelines for visitors.
• We have received approvals from the state for alternate sites for our licensed child care programs. Programs will start October 4 and registered participants have been notified.
• The cleaning and first phase of the restoration process on the first floor is complete. The next stage is rebuilding all the rooms. We estimate the lobby/membership area will reopen by mid-November, the classrooms by December and the adult locker rooms by January. These timeframes are our best guess estimates and may change based on the rebuilding progress.
•  Please click here for our schedule of virtual group exercise classes.

 

Thursday, September 23 Dear Rye Y members, Our electricity was finally restored on Tuesday and we are working on the necessary steps needed for reopening the 2nd and 3rd floor of the facility. This mainly includes repairs to our fire alarm system and running various checks on all of our HVAC systems and creating a safe entry point near our front doors as we prepare the first floor for significant renovations. We will provide an update on these items hopefully by the middle of next week! Next Steps and other info: With power restored, we can also begin to focus on the steps required to bring our pools back on line which includes repairs to our pool pumps and other pool related mechanicals, draining and cleaning the pools, and then refilling and chemically balancing off the water. In addition, we have to replace our boilers which heat the pools. The boilers have already been ordered and we are pushing hard to have them installed in the very near future. We’ll provide additional updates on the re-opening of the pools over the next few weeks. Lap swimmers may now use the Carver Center pool in Port Chester and make reservations through our reservation system. The hours listed are reserved for Rye Y members and the pool is staffed by Rye Y staff. The Darien YMCA and New Rochelle YMCA have agreed to accommodate our members until we can reopen our doors. (The New Rochelle YMCA is temporarily closed, we’ll update you when we know more.) If you plan to utilize their fitness centers, group exercise classes or pools, please click here for detailed information about their guidelines for visitors. We continue to wait for approvals from the state for alternate sites for our licensed child care programs. Our sports, Baby & Me, dance programs and after school program will continue to operate off-site for now. Class participants will be notified of any changes.  Please click here for our schedule of virtual group exercise classes. If you would like to put your membership on hold, please contact John Grieco, Membership Operations Director, at johng@ryeymca.org.For those that have reached out about making a donation to support the Y’s mission or rebuilding efforts, click here. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We look forward to seeing you back at the Rye Y soon! Tuesday, September 18 The New Rochelle Y is temporarily closed.  We’ll keep you updated. Lap swim is now available at the Carver Center in Port Chester, which has graciously welcomed our members to their pool during specified hours. Reservations may be made starting today for Wednesday slots through our reservation system. Before making reservations, please carefully read all the guidelines. We are guests of the Carver Center and must comply with all of their rules. Friday, September 17 Dear Rye Y members, Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue the clean up process and start to formulate plans to rebuild the first floor. Clean up by our restoration company is 90% complete at this time, but we are still waiting for our power to be restored. We have established relationships – in true Y spirit – with the New Rochelle YMCA and Darien YMCA who have agreed to accommodate our members until we can reopen our doors. If you plan to utilize their fitness centers, group exercise classes or pools, please click here for detailed information about their guidelines for visitors. Early next week, we will announce the hours that the Carver Center will be available for lap swimmers. We are excited about this continued collaboration and anticipate a start date of Wednesday, September 22. We continue to wait for approvals from the state for the alternate sites for our licensed child care programs. Thank you to Rye Rec, CCNS, Midland and Osborn schools for providing temporary sites for our sports, Baby & Me, dance programs and our after school program. These programs will continue at the temporary locations for the foreseeable future. Class participants will be notified of any changes. Maintenance on our pools will begin when our power is restored and mechanicals have been assessed. We will update you when we know more. Additionally, we will reopen the Fitness Center, Group Ex studio and gymnasium when our power has been restored and mechanicals have been assessed. We will provide additional updates on these areas in the coming days. In the meantime, please click here for our schedule of virtual group exercise classes. If you would like to put your membership on hold, please contact John Grieco, Membership Operations Director, at johng@ryeymca.org. For those that have reached out about making a donation to support the Y’s mission or rebuilding efforts, click here. Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you back at the Rye Y soon! To view future flood recovery updates, click here. Click  here to view a short video from Board Member Rachel Breinin. September 8, 2021 As we continue to clean up from last week’s flood, we are also reaching out to other nearby YMCAs to see if they can temporarily accommodate you. We are pleased to announce that the following Ys will welcome Rye Y members to their fitness centers, group exercise classes and pools. If we are able to secure other locations, we will update the list below.  Please click here for detailed information about these YMCA’s guidelines for visitors. New Rochelle YMCA, New Rochelle, NY Darien YMCA, Darien, CT Other Important Updates: The Rye Y’s gymnasium, group exercise studio and fitness center will be ready to reopen once power is restored and all mechanicals are checked and properly running. We are hopeful that we will be able to open these areas by next week or the early part of the week after. In the meantime, please click here for our schedule of virtual group exercise classes, starting tomorrow. We have secured alternate space to run our youth sports, Dawny Dew and dance programs, scheduled to start on September 11, in the event that there is a delay in starting them at the Rye Y. Program participants will be notified with details by email. We have located alternate sites for our licensed child care programs and are in the process of securing approvals by the state. The pools will be the last to reopen and we’ll update you when we know more. If you would like to put your membership on hold, please contact John Grieco, Membership Operations Director, at johng@ryeymca.org.Thank you for your patience and understanding as we weather yet another difficult time together. We will keep you posted as we continue to assess the damage and rebuild. For those that have reached out about making a donation or volunteering, we are so grateful. To make a donation to support the Y’s mission or rebuilding efforts, click here. We are currently not set up for volunteers and ask that you do not stop by the Y due to safety concerns. Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you back at the Rye Y soon! To view future flood recovery updates, click here. Click here or below to see a slideshow of our restoration progress. We are making progress on restoring both the Pa Cope and Brookside Pool. We hope to reopen the pools around October 18. Our members have praised the Carver Center pool for its cleanliness and large windows – as well as the opportunity to see familiar staff and swimmers. See below for details.

2021-22 Teen Nights

Grades 6-8

The 2nd Saturday of each month, the Y is open just to middle schoolers from 7-10pm for an evening of fun, food, competitions and games. Second Saturdays are supervised by our professional Rye Y staff.

Questions: hcamacho@ryeymca.org

Registration required.

October 9: Welcome back to the Y! Open Gym
November 13: Nerf Night Special
December 11: Holiday Party
January 15: Open Mic Night
February 12: Capture the Flag
March 12: March Madness Basketball Special
April 9: Dodgeball
May 14: Nerf Night Special

Fees:
Family Members: Free
Youth Members: $5
Non-Members: $10

Specials:
Family: $5
Youth: $5
Non-Members: $10

Togetherhood Community Service Project

Join us!
Tending the Giving Garden at Port Chester Middle School
Tuesday, August 3, 9 am-11 am
For ages 4+. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Registration required. For more information and to sign up, click here.

May is National Water Safety Month

Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old? As a leading provider in swimming lessons and community outreach for over 100 years, here at the Y we know the urgency around teaching children and families how to be safe around water. As we approach the hot summer season, we want  to help our families and community stay safe this summer.

In recognition of May being National Water Safety Month, we want all of our members to learn the hard facts about drowning, how we can all commit to drowning prevention, and how we can work together in our community to spread the word around the importance of water safety at all times. Please follow us on Facebook or Instagram to receive information on Water Safety Wednesdays through May and additional information throughout the month to help your family stay safe around water this summer!

Drowning is 100% preventable and we need your help to ensure that our kids stay safe this summer!

Rye Y Aquatics Staff

Statement from Y-USA President

April 21, 2021

I am relieved.

After getting my hopes up so many times before that our nation’s justice system would do right by a Black person, only to be punched in the gut, I am relieved that the jurors in Minneapolis held Derek Chauvin accountable for murdering George Floyd. They believed what they saw: Chauvin callously kneeling on George’s neck for more than nine minutes as his breath and his life were drained from him. I am relieved that this is grounds for a murder conviction in our country.

As I watched news coverage of people crying, screaming, hugging and dancing, I experienced all those emotions. It was a release of anxiety, fear and the heavy burden Black people in America have carried throughout this trial – and it felt good.

I also am grateful.

For 17-year-old Darnella Frazier, who had the presence of mind to take out her phone and record what she witnessed on a Minneapolis street on the evening of May 25, 2020, because there may not have been a trial if she hadn’t. For Chauvin’s police chief and fellow officers who took the stand and said his show of force was unnecessary and in violation of department policy. And for the prosecutors, who skillfully countered racist stereotypes about the dangerous, drug-addicted Black man.

But I am clear-eyed.

This verdict does not bring back George Floyd, who should be alive today and who is lost to his kids and family for the rest of their lives. It does not deliver peace to countless other Black and Brown families who still seek accountability for the murder of a loved one. And it does not solve our country’s many problems rooted in systemic racism.

What I hope this verdict does do is move us closer to meaningful policy change and a more equitable and just future for all people. We have a long way to go, but this verdict can be a significant step in the right direction – if our country has the collective courage and will to make it one.

The Y is working toward a more equitable and just future in communities across the nation – and around the world – every day. Our commitment to becoming an anti-racist, multicultural organization calls us to stand against racism in all forms and lift up those who are oppressed. It also calls us to promote peace and understanding by bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to help them find common ground, consistent with our inclusive mission. The Y is ready to help all people and communities go forward from this pivotal moment.

In a statement following George Floyd’s murder, I said I was sad, frustrated, angry and scared, but hopeful – primarily because the activism I saw across the country was led by young people of all races and ethnicities, locked arm-in-arm with their Black brothers and sisters. It warmed my heart to see them so visible in their communities again yesterday, because I believe they deserve credit for the verdict. The awareness they raised and the pressure they applied made a difference.

Most of the responsibility for reversing 400 years of racial inequity and injustice in this country will fall to young people. It’s a daunting task, but I know they are up to it. As I have said before, I am a firm believer in the power and promise of young people. Nothing is beyond their reach.

So, I remain hopeful. Because one verdict can be the start of something bigger, and because I’m convinced young people will make sure that it is.

KEVIN WASHINGTON
President and CEO
YMCA OF THE USA 101 N Wacker Drive, Chicago IL 60606
312.419.8674 | kwashington@ymca.net | ymca.net

Summer Programs

This summer we will offer youth swim, karate, soccer and music as well as a teen fitness clinic and adult fitness classes.
Registration starts June 14 for members and June 16 for non-members.
Programs run June 26-August 20

Click here to view the guide

2021 Summer Camps

Limited availability.  Click here to view the 2021 camp brochure.
Click here to register

The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is in the lobby until December 16

Know the Risks: November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and a time for all members to assess their risk for developing prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Currently, of the 84 million people with prediabetes only 10 percent know they have the condition. According to the CDC hospitalizations were 6 times higher and deaths 12 times higher for COVID-19 patients with reported underlying conditions, including Diabetes.

To address this issue, the Rye YMCA offers the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program virtually via ZOOM, which helps adults lose weight through healthier eating and increased physical activity, potentially preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.

“I have been attending the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program  since the beginning  of January 2020. Unfortunately the world was hit with the Coronavirus our meetings where no longer held at the YMCA where we all felt a loss. These two women managed to set up our meetings via zoom. I am forever grateful for these women and our meetings, I know have a greater understanding of this horrific diabetes disease. I know I can handle this and have control between diet and exercise. With the help from both Heidy and Karina our group managed to stay together yet apart, I look forward to every time we can all get together to discuss our goals, our mess ups and how we can improve.”

Patricia Boyer, YMCA’S DPP Program Participant

For more information about how to qualify for access to the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, click here or contact Heidy Barros at Heidy@ryeymca.org 

Halloween Carnival Slideshow