Group swim lessons start on March 1st! We have lessons to fit every age and ability level. Parent-Child classes start at 6 months old and small group lessons (without a parent) start at three years old and go through 12 years old. Our capable instructors can teach children of all abilities - from their first time in the water, to swim team hopefuls.  Registration is going on now and spaces are limited.  For more information on the YMCA's swim lessons, please click on the link for either of our locations below:

Make a no-school day even better and come to YMCA Fun Days!  The YMCA of the Palms is offering Fun Days over February school holidays.  The day starts at 7:15AM and the fun doesn't stop until 6:00PM. The Naples Fun Day is February 15th, and Bonita Springs is February 15th and 16th. Please bring a lunch, snack, swim suit and towel for the day, and wear sneakers so you can run around!  For more information about Fun Days, including the schedule of Fun Days offered for the rest of the school year, please click on the link for either of our locations below:

Learn water rescue skills and become certified as a Red Cross Lifeguard.  The Greater Naples YMCA is offering a Lifeguard certification class held over two consecutive weekends in February: February 12-14 and 19-21. Attendance in all classes is required and you must be 16 years old on or before the final exam on the 21st to register. In the class you will learn proper water rescue techniques, along with CPR, First Aid and AED certifications.  For more information, please click here.

 

Looking for a little challenge in your fitness routine? Are you need of a little extra motivation to keep you on your New Year's Resolutions? Sign up today for our Winter Olympics-themed Fitness Challenge, starting February 15 through March 13. You'll work in a team of 4 to complete individual and team workouts.  For more information, please click here.

 

 

Baby Basics Biking and Walking Challenge is being held to support an all volunteer program which provides diapers and kindness to babies from low income working families on a regular basis.  The goal is raise enough money to support 239 babies currently being served and add an additional 25 babies to a new distribution site at the Greater Naples YMCA.

 

 

The YMCA is hosting a Kids Against Hunger meal packaging event to support the citizens of Haiti. Our goal: pack 300,000 meals in one day. To make this possible, we need your help! We have two meal-packing shifts: 8 to 10 am and 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.  We are looking for at least 200 volunteers to attend each shift. You can RSVP that you are attending at our Member Service Desk, RSVP on our Facebook page, or e-mail info@ymcapalms.org.

 

 

The Bonita Springs YMCA is hosting a Business After Hours event on Thursday, February 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  All members are invited to register for this event.  Please note that the Bonita Springs YMCA will close early at 5 pm to accommodate the group and we encourage our members to visit the Greater Naples YMCA.  We apologize for any inconvenience and we hope to see you there!

 

 

Calling all members!  Join us in February for YMCA Senior Potlucks, held on Tuesday, February 16, at the Bonita Springs YMCA and on Wednesday, February 24, at the Greater Naples YMCA.  Both events will start at 12:30 pm.  Bring your favorite dish to pass and enjoy a lovely time with good friends and the YMCA Staff.

 

February 19: Health & Wellness Seminar: "Are my Hormones Affecting my Weight and Metabolism?" 

 

Join us when Dr. Caroline Cederquist tackles the question: "Are my Hormones Affecting my Weight and Metabolism?"  This special seminar will be held on Friday, February 19th at 10:30 am in the Board Room of the Greater Naples YMCA.  Dr. Cederquist is board certified in Family Practice and in Bariatric Medicine, which is the medical specialty of weight loss.  Reserve your spot at the Member Service Desk.

March 28: Car Show

 

Calling all car buffs, connoisseurs, and aficionados! On Sunday, March 28, from 10 am to 4 pm, the Bonita Springs YMCA will be hosting its 1st Annual Auto Show, with proceeds benefiting the YMCA's Strong Kids Campaign. All vehicles are welcome, from motorcycles to classic and muscle cars, to imports and exotics.

 

If you could only hear them singing, 250 little kids celebrating the birth of the YMCA Gaynor Child Development Center just one year ago.  The Gaynor Center, named for its generous benefactor, Mrs. Lavern N. Gaynor, is a a beautiful facility that produces children primed for a career of academic success. 

 

Not only is the YMCA of the Palms the largest provider of childcare in Collier County, state records support that our kids are among the highest performing.  Our kids are prepared for school with a love for learning and a foundation of four core values - caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility - that will make a difference in their lives.  If you have not had a chance to see the Gaynor Center, please feel free to come by and see what a gift this center is to the children and families that attend. You will quickly see why Mrs. Gaynor believes in it, why the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF) believes in it, and why you should believe in it, too.  Please click here to learn more.

Sudden cardiac arrest claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year. One of the main reasons is because no one at the scene does anything to help. In fact, less than one-third of sudden cardiac arrest victims receive bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Getting help right away-within a few minutes-is the key to survival.  Please click here to read more.