'TIS THE SEASON

Y MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO SHARE THE Y WITH FRIENDS DURING DECEMBER

The Y is a community where you meet new friends, be active, and stay healthy. Give the gift of a free 15-day trial membership anytime during December. We welcome you to refer a friend to your Y. They will be able to use the Life Center or get a workout in the giant group exercise studio that is host to over 26 weekly classes. We offer free health and wellness assessments and will tailor a workout plan to help them meet their wellness goals.

Looking to relax? Adults can enjoy a sauna, a steam or a soak in the whirlpool. We all know that kids need exercise, too. Here they can run, jump, and play in the gyms or enjoy the Pepsi Cube game room and Just Kids Gym ball pit. Swim with their family in our two swimming pools and shoot hoops in two gymnasiums. Their trial membership includes 2 free hours of Child Watch per day while at the Y. FREE child watch to all current YMCA Family Membership holders during the month of December. Trial membership is for 15 continuous days.

Y MEMBERS CAN PICK UP THEIR GIFT CARDS AT OUR FRONT DESK IN DECEMBER. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

FREE Open House

Saturday, January 10, 2015

1:00-5:00 p.m.

Join us for fun, family activities, group exercise classes, youth swim level testing, youth sports skill building clinics, weight lifting demo's, a chance to ask trainers questions, some giveaways and more.

The event is free and open to the public.

The first 20 families that join our Y during the open house will receive a free session of swim lessons for each child.

Already a Y member? YMCA members will receive a voucher for a Y program for each new membership they referred to our Y during the open house.

Brother/Sister Program Spotlight

Olivia and Abby have been matched for about 2 years now. They have a really fun relationship and enjoy doing a lot of different things together!

Olivia says Abby is vibrant, humorous, and loves nature. She also has a big vocabulary and always likes to tell stories. Abby has high hopes, a good heart, and she loves being silly.

Abby's favorite activities to do with Olivia are arts, crafts, drawing and reading, Olivia's favorite activity is hanging out with Abby at Olivia's farm.

Olivia says her favorite part about being Abby's mentor is listening to her. Abby tells Olivia about the fleeting thoughts that go through her head, major concerns she has at school, what's going on with her family and home and what she wants to do when she grows up. Olivia says, "I like being that person to listen to her and let her feel heard, because I find that to be underrated with children. Every child needs an adult to listen." Abby says her favorite thing about Olivia is that she is fun and they got to do fun activities together!

One of Olivia's favorite stories about Abby is when she told her, "When I grow up I want to go to a college that teaches me how to talk to animals. I'm very passionable about nature, that's why I'm so explorable."

Congratulations Olivia and Abby for being the December Match of the Month!

Extra Trimmings
Thanksgiving Day

Thank you to everyone who donated food items for the ECHO Food Shelf. A little more than

240 lbs worth of food was donated!

STRIDE

The Fall 2014 Session of STRIDE is nearing completion. The group of 44 boys recently participated in their "Practice 5k" and each participant that attempted the distance finished and met or exceeded their goal. The STRIDE group hopes to continue to improve on their confidence & performance goals in preparation for the December 7^th Exclusively Diamond Dash 5K event. STRIDE participants will wrap-up the season by learning and discussing how to follow through with the character and leadership they have learned throughout the 11 weeks. They will also be involved with a volunteer project and learn about the importance of giving back to the community. Successful STRIDE participants will put what they have learned into action, share with others and truly make a difference. A new session will begin in February 2015 and we are excited to be adding a 6^th-8th grade STRIDE group.

AT A GLANCE:

Winter/Spring

Program Guide

Now Available

December 24:

YMCA Closing at 2pm

For the Holiday

December 25:

YMCA CLOSED all day

For the Holiday

December 31:

YMCA Closing at 6pm

For the Holiday

January 1:

YMCA is open from
12pm-6pm

January 6:

Winter Session 1

Registration Deadline

Preschool Registration

Preschool Registration for current preschool families begins in December for the 2015-16 school year.

Registration for all others will start on January 5, 2015.

If you would like a brochure and registration form, please contact Cheryl Ballard.

Learn to Ski or Snowboard Program

The Learn to Ski or Snowboard Program is for beginners or those who have never tried this activity before! The knowledgeable staff at Mount Kato is ready to teach children aged 6-12(for skiing) or 8-12 (for snowboarding) the skills necessary to participate in these activities safely for maximum enjoyment. Cost is $67 per student and includes three 2-hour lessons, 2-hour lift tickets for use during each lesson period, and equipment rental. All classes held at Mount Kato Ski Area. Students wishing to continue their time on the slope can extend their 2-hour lift time for only $12 per child.

Saturdays, Dec 6-20, 1-3pm

For more information about the program, call Paige at

507-625-3363

Schools Out Day Camps

For boys and girls

grades K-5.

Swimming, Field Trips,

Gym Games, Arts &
Crafts and more!

Hours 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Parents can begin
dropping off their
children at 7:30 a.m.
and pick up their children
at the Y before 5:30 p.m.

Permission slip required for admittance.

Click here to learn more!

Questions? Call Sara Wiens
at 507-345-9808.

Thank You!

Jim Pietz at Mayflower for donation radio hours to the Mankato Family YMCA.

Mankato Clinic Foundation for the awards grant. Thanks to the Mankato Clinic Foundation, The Mankato Family YMCA is receiving $5,000 to be used for the LiveSTRONG at the YMCA program. The LiveSTRONG at the YMCA is a 12-week program for adult cancer survivors which focuses helping participants increase their endurance and strength during and after treatments.

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