YMCA: Helping America move

Published 7:52 pm Saturday, September 18, 2010

On the Move: “America on the Move” at the Suffolk Family YMCA will have activities for all ages — from Zumba for adults and children to bounce houses. The event is free and open to the public.

If the ground starts to shake next weekend, it’s not an earthquake.

It’s the 700 Suffolk Family YMCA members celebrating their success in the six-week “America on the Move” program.

On Sept. 26, the Suffolk Family YMCA will host the celebration from 2-4 p.m. and have 12 stations to showcase different programs and get people moving with obstacle courses.

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“‘America on the Move’ is our way of getting people of all ages moving, active and healthy,” said Jennifer Hall, Suffolk Family YMCA membership director. “We’re doing a little bit of everything that day to celebrate our members’ successes and to show the community what we have for all the members and their families.”

“America on the Move” is a six-week program aimed at helping people maintain consist workout schedules through accountability. Members in this session began Sept. 5, and their accountability period will wrap up Sept. 25.

“On the fifth [of September], they began exercising and tracking it in a logbook they have,” Hall said. “You’re supposed to exercise three times a week. If you’re not, we give you a call for accountability.”

“The program is about finding something you’re passionate for and using it to stay healthy and active. It’s a great program for people who maybe need that extra little push. At the end of the program, we celebrate what they’ve done.”

The celebration is what next Sunday’s commotion will be about. Activities will include bounce houses and slides, GEKO, a healthy snack station, Y-Change, basketball tournaments, an active older adult booth, child care preview, tae-kwon-do demonstration, Zumba for adults and children and aquatics.

“It’s a little bit of everything that the YMCA has to offer all ages,” Hall said. “GEKO is our ‘group exercise for kids only,’ we have healthy snack stations with Subway, a fitness ‘Plinko’ for active adults and basketball tournament we have 60 teams signed up for.”

The event will begin and end with Zumba demonstrations. A tae-kwon-do demonstration from 2:30-3 p.m. will feature more 60 children throwing kicks and punches.

Active older adults will perform line dancing from 3-3:15 p.m. before the last Zumba demonstration.

While the demonstrations are going on, adults and children will have plenty to do.

“Each participant who completes the tasks at six of the 12 stations will receive a raffle entry,” Hall said.

The raffle will include a free Zumba party, memberships, swim lessons and a $100 discount on a YMCA party rental.

Members who bring a guest will receive an additional raffle entry.

“We want people to celebrate their accomplishments, show them what else is available here and spread the word in the community that we have services for members who are six weeks old to 96 years old,” Hall said.

For more information, call 934-9622.