Letter to the Editor

Letter: How the Y Strengthens Northwestern DuPage County

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By Harley Jordan, President, Board of Directors, B.R.Ryall YMCA of Northwestern DuPage County As the pace of our lives moves faster and faster and the demands on our time increase, the ties to our community become even more important. A strong community provides us with a stable base that helps us deal with the pressures of daily life. At the Y, strengthening community is our cause, and in northwestern DuPage county, the B.R. Ryall YMCA provides an anchor to our community that gives all of us —regardless of age, income or background—the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. At the B.R. Ryall YMCA, strengthening community means more than providing a place to swim laps or lift weights, and while physical health is incredibly important to a …

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B.R. Ryall YMCA Launches Community Support Campaign

B.R. Ryall YMCA launches community support campaign April 1 to advance programming and services for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

With no money, no car, and a life-changing disease, Bruce, a B.R. Ryall YMCA member, refused to feel sorry for his circumstances and decided to ask the Y for help.  “The Y was good enough to provide me with a membership scholarship.  I use the Y every day during the week and look forward to working-out and socializing with many great friends.  I am much happier, stronger and have never had more friends in my life, ever.  Because of the Y, I am always going to be fantastic,” he said in a statement from the YMCA, To ensure that the Y can continue to provide Northwestern DuPage County with life-enhancing services, the B.R. Ryall YMCA is launching its annual community support campaign on April 1, 2013. As a leading nonprofit for strengthening …

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B.R. Ryall YMCA Kicks Off 5K Training Program Monday Night

The "3 Months to 3 Miles" program will begin on Feb. 18 and end with participants completing the 5K "Race to Ryall" in May.

Those New Year’s resolutions to get in shape may be long since broken, but the B.R. Ryall YMCA is offering another opportunity for resolution breakers to set and attain a new goal. The YMCA is holding a kick-off Monday night for its “3 Months to 3 Miles” Program. Participants will train and be coached to complete the 5K walk/run “Race to Ryall” by May 18. “This is a unique opportunity for the entire community to take advantage of a program to help achieve wellness goals,” said Dee Dee McDevitt, Membership Director at the B.R. Ryall YMCA in a news release. Along with the B.R. Ryall YMCA, Run Today, Whole Foods Market Wheaton and M&M Orthopedics will be providing expertise to participants. According to the YMCA, Whole Foods Market Wheaton …

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B.R. Ryall YMCA Receives Grant Funding

The funding will help the Y provide after school programs to children in need in Glen Ellyn and Wheaton.

The B.R. Ryall YMCA of Northwestern DuPage County recently received a grant that will help it provide after school programs for children in need.  The organization received a grant of $5,000 from jcp cares, jcpenney’s new charitable giving program. The funding will provide children in Glen Ellyn and Wheaton with assistance to attend after-school programs. “The support of jcpenney enhances our efforts to serve as many children as possible with meaningful, high-quality afterschool programming,” said Erin White, Safe ‘n Sound Director at B.R. Ryall YMCA.  “By working together we can not only keep children safer, but also help provide them with lasting benefits, including healthier lifestyles, improved social skills and an enhanced academic …

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Area Children Help Collect Donations for Local Food Pantries

Participants in the B.R. Ryall YMCA Safe 'n Sound program began collecting food for area food pantries in November.

From the B.R. Ryall YMCA B.R. Ryall YMCA’s Safe ‘n Sound afterschool program participants collected more than 1200 items to donate to local food pantries. It all started in November when the kids were sharing what they were grateful for. Their responses reflected the typical kid answers about family, friends and toys as well as an understanding about the importance of having a home and food to eat. That discussion was the impetus for their food drive which took off from there.   “We want to teach the children the value of giving back to your community,” said Erin White, Director of Safe ‘n Sound at the B.R. Ryall YMCA, “Giving back can help build a child’s confidence and self-esteem, as well as build a foundation to encourage life-long …

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Y's Tree Sales Benefit Those in Need

The B.R. Ryall YMCA will begin selling Christmas trees on Friday. Sales of the trees make it possible for community members to use the Y, regardless of income.

After you pack away the turkey on Thanksgiving, and get your shopping done on Black Friday, thoughts may turn to Christmas tree buying. The B.R. Ryall YMCA will open its Christmas tree lot on Friday at 1 p.m. The lot will remain open through Dec. 24. For more than 12 years the B.R. Ryall YMCA of Northwestern DuPage County has run a Christmas tree lot, selling more than 500 trees. Those tree sales have allowed the YMCA to raise about $20,000 every year, according to the organization. The tree sales benefit the B.R. Ryall’s annual campaign, and allow it to provide membership and program scholarships to children, families and seniors in need, ensuring everyone can have access to the Y regardless of ability to pay, according to the …

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