While it may feel far from around the corner, summer is almost here! School will soon be out, but the Portage Township YMCA kids will continue learning and growing thanks to the annual Healthy Kids Day this Saturday.
Every year, YMCAs across the nation hold this event to introduce kids and families to all of the incredible camps, programs, and activities that the YMCA has to offer over the summer. These initiatives come in response to widespread concern for preventing learning loss and weight gain in children over these warm months. This is a time for kids to live life to its fullest, and the YMCA makes that possible!
“It is a kick-off to summer for kids!” said Erin Robles, Senior Programs and Marketing Director at the Portage Township YMCA. “YMCAs started this initiative to let parents know that there is stuff for their kids to do this summer. It is affordable, some of it is free, and it’s fun! That’s exactly what this event is. It’s full of community vendors, businesses, and it’s free for people to attend and see what everybody has to offer.”
This year, more than 23 vendors showed up to offer games and information about their programming. Last year the program pulled in more than 180 kids and 120 families for games, raffles, bounce houses, performances and a whole lot of fun. What is particularly special about this event, however, is the way that the YMCA is able to reach such a diverse array of people. This year was no different.
“The Y impacts everybody in the community. It’s not just a certain group,” said Kamryn Whitten, YCare Worker, Site Supervisor, and Camp Counselor at the Portage Township YMCA. “It’s not just people who are upper class or middle class, it’s anyone. It is any race, any religion - anybody is welcome here. Showing that anybody can come together and anyone can be friends and [everyone] is there for support is really important.”
The positive support system that the YMCA provides is essential for the healthy growth of kids. All of the programs and opportunities present at the event helped to further extend that support to the surrounding Portage community.
For Ashley Buckland, a Portage Township YMCA employee and parent of two, the YMCA helped her family establish a home after they moved from Ohio to Indiana in 2010.
“[The Portage YMCA] is very family friendly. Every person here loves my kids like they’re their own. We have made friends that are like family,” she said.
The Bucklands have been attending Healthy Kids Day for the last five years, and it has become one of their favorite annual events for the kids.
“Our kids love it because they see all the people that they know,” Buckland said. “We love to see the community coming out and supporting the kids. It’s just a good family event.”
This family-centered mission is at the core of the YMCA and is present at the Healthy Kids Day event each year. Summer camps give kids the opportunity to try archery, fishing, and canoeing, and summer sport clinics are conveniently scheduled for busy families. There are even multiple one-week sessions for the preschool summer camp, giving the youngsters a taste of what summer camp could be like when they’re older.
“Just start doing it because once you do one program you’re introduced to a new one and you’re introduced to another,” encouraged Whitten. “For kids, for parents, for grandparents...for everyone!”
The Portage Township YMCA is currently conducting registration for summer camps and programs! To learn more about these summer opportunities as well as the many other classes, clubs, and services, visit their website.