Want to keep in basketball shape during the off season? Enjoy a game of basketball after school at the Y!

 The Whitley County Family YMCA will be offering a 7 game, 4 VS 4, intamural season for both middle school and high school aged kids.

•  Where: the Whitley County Family YMCA
•  When: Thursdays, April 15th – May 27th
•  Time: games start at 4 p.m.
•  Cost: $125 per team

 Teams will be broken into two groups; 6th – 8th grade and 9th – 12th grade. Each team must consist of 4 -8 players. Only 4 players can play at a time.

 Teams must be registered by March 31st to receive T-Shirts.

 See the Member Services Desk at the Y for information and team registration forms.

 The Whitley County Family YMCA presents Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University:

The Whitley County Family YMCA will be offering the opportunity to try SCUBA Diving to anyone 12 years and older. We Teach SCUBA will lead a 1-hour “mini course” allowing non-divers to experience the magic of SCUBA diving in a pool under professional supervision. Participants must bring a towel and bathing suit.

 Dates: Saturday, March 6th and Saturday, March 20th

 Times: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

 Cost: YMCA Members $5 and Non-Members $10

 You can register at the Member Services Desk at the Whitley County Family YMCA or click here to register on-line.

Contact Steven Kuhn, Sports & Aquatics Director, at 244-9622 for more information.

The YMCA of greater Fort Wayne golf outing will take place Monday, May 24 at the Pine Valley Country Club.

There are morning and afternoon tee times available. The cost is $600 per foursome or $150 per player. Fantastic sponsorships are available.

To reserve your tee time or secure a dynamic sponsorship, contact Danielle Gleason, Development and Special Events Coordinator, at (260) 918-2145 or at danielle_gleason@fwymca.org.

Thanks to the Whitley County Family YMCA and Parkview Whitley Hospital, there will be a health screen blood draw on January 27.

The health screen blood draw will take place from 6:30 a.m. until 9 a.m. in Columbia City at the Whitley County Family YMCA.

The tests being offered are the Chem 17, the PSA, and the TSH, though a 10 to 12 hour fast is recommended.

For YMCA members the tests are $22 and $25 for non-members.

For more, see the article from our partner in the Whitley News Network, Talk of the Town, at http://www.talkofthetownwc.com/.

From our news partner in the Whitley News Network, Talk of the Town:

If you are looking for an athletic outlet for your young child, the Whitley County Family YMCA may have just what you are looking for.

The Whitley County Family YMCA will be holding a 7-week indoor soccer league from March 6 to April 17 for pre-K to 2nd grade children.

Registration is ongoing until February 14. The cost is $25 for members and $50 for non-members.

For more on this story see Jennifer Zartman Romano’s article at Talk of the Town .

The YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants are excited to join forces and enhance the area Y-ball program.

This unique youth basketball league cultivates player development through practice and game play during a 9-week session.

Each child receives a T-shirt, a free ticket to a Mad Ants game of his/her choice, and admission to the Mad Ants player clinic, led by the Mad Ants coaches and players.

Registration is now through Dec. 17. The season starts Jan. 9, 2010.

To sign up go to the Fort Wayne YMCA Web site.

Dear friends of the YMCA,

As you probably know the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus is affecting Northeast Indiana. We are working very closely with local and state officials to try to prevent the spread of H1N1 among children at our child care sites, members and program participants in our wellness facilities and among our staff.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are steps everyone can take to lower their chances of getting sick:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water and consider carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer.
• Cough into your inner elbow or into a tissue, instead of your hands. This will help prevent the spread of germs, including the flu virus.
• Get children vaccinated.
• Stay home when you are sick. Conduct daily health checks to make sure that you and your children do not have signs of the flu (fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue). Anyone with a flu-like illness should remain at home and away from others for seven days after their symptoms start and at least 24 hours after they are free of fever.

There are certain people who are at an increased risk for complications from the H1N1 virus. They include:

• Women who are pregnant
• Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
• Chronic lung disease, including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cancer- Diabetes- Heart disease- Kidney disorders- Liver disorders
• Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
• Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
• People with weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS or those who are receiving chemotherapy)
• People under the age of 25

If they have been in contact with someone with the flu, the individuals, or their guardians, should talk with a doctor.
Within our YMCA branches and child care sites we are following guidelines put out by the public health department and we are carefully monitoring our facilities and program participants.

We appreciate your continued cooperation and support as we work together to reduce the spread of the H1N1 flu virus in our community.

Sincerely,
Toni Kayumi
Director of Marketing & Development
YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Sign up your mini football player for the YMCA’s Flag Football program, which begins Sept. 12 and runs through Oct. 24.

Register from now until Aug. 15 by contacting Joe Didier, YMCA athletic director, at 260-432-8953.

• PreK-K – 30 minute practice/ 30 minute game;
• Grades 1, 2 – 30 minute practice/ 30 minute game;
• Grades 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8 – one practice per week/one game per week.

Cost for members is $40, while non-members are $80 each.

Caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Qualities that make a difference in someone’s life.

The YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne and Wells Fargo Bank will recognize six local youth who exhibit those qualities at the 13th Annual Celelbration of Youth Awards.

If you know a high school junior or senior who has made a difference, submit a nomination efore April 17 by going to www.fwymca.org and downloading an award form.

Each of the six students named will receive a personalized award, a one-year membership to the YMCA facility of their choice in the Greater Fort Wayne area and $1,500 cash scholarship to the college of their choice.

The Jorgensen Family YMCA is hosting a shopping trip to Chicago, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 22.

A charter bus will drop off visitors in the heart of Chicago. Spend the day Christmas shopping, touring museums or just browsing with a friend. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. This popular holiday trip is filling up quickly so don’t delay!

The pick up/drop off location is the Jorgensen Family YMCA, 10313 Aboite Center Rd, located in Indian Trails Park. The bus will leave at approximately 6:45 a.m. and will returned at approximately 10 p.m.

Cost is $40 for members, $80 for non-members.

Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago during the Thanksgiving weekend holiday lighting ceremony.

To sign up, stop by the Jorgensen Family YMCA Membership desk, or call Nikki Surbaugh, Youth and Family Program Director at the Jorgensen Family YMCA, at (260) 432-8953 or email nikki_surbaugh@fwymca.org.

Water Tower Place Mall on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago

Dr. Nick Yphantides, author of “My Big Fat Greek Diet,” will be the featured speaker on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10:30 a.m. – 12 noon at the Southeast Family YMCA, 5125 Werling Drive, Fort Wayne. 

Dr. Nick Yphantides

Dr. Nick traveled cross-country in an RV named “U.S.S. Spirit of Reduction” and began his “Take a Swing at Weight Loss Tour.” Dr. Nick visited all 30 Major League Baseball Stadiums while traveling to all 50 states. He worked out at neighborhood YMCA centers and dropped 270 pounds.

Join this group and hear Dr. Nick’s inspirational story of losing weight and gaining confidence. The event is free and open to the public.

Arrive in comfortable clothes for a group exercise class that will follow the presentation. RSVP today at membership services at the Southeast Family YMCA or call 447-4567.

A “Boo-Rific” Halloween Magic Show will be held  Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Jorgensen Family YMCA, 10313 Aboite Center Road, near Indian Trails, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Don Miller, from Family Time Entertainment is back with an all new amazing magic show including objects floating in the air.

While being entertained, kids will learn about how to have a safe Halloween, jack-o-lantern fire safety and safe candy eating. It will be great fun for families of all ages.

Cost of the event is $30 per family for Y members and $50 per family for non-members. 

Call Nikki Surbaugh, Youth & Family Program Director at the Jorgensen Family YMCA at 432-8953 for more information.