Healthy Living, Healthy Community Blog

Dear YMCA staff and members, I am announcing my retirement from the YMCA, after 35 years of service. July 10 will be my final day. My YMCA career has been an amazing and wonderful journey!

Our hearts and our prayers extend to the families of so many who have lost loved ones to acts of racism. We affirm unequivocally that all Black lives matter.

As a YMCA family, we are heartbroken at the avoidable, needless and tragic deaths of African-American men, women and trans identified individuals across our nation. Our hearts are filled with pain, frustration and a fierce desire for change – emotions we are sure many of you share with the loss of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and the many who have preceded them.

On a normal Saturday afternoon in 2018, after their regular practice, the Wild Boars soccer team in northern Thailand decided to spend an hour exploring a nearby cave. One of their teammates was turning 17 and they wanted to do something special to celebrate his birthday. Carrying no food or water, they set out for what they thought would be a quick detour on their way home.

At the Y, we’re here to help you lower your risk for serious illness or chronic disease. We’re also here to help you reclaim your health if you do become ill. While a healthy immune system may not be able to prevent you from becoming sick if you’re exposed to the coronavirus, it may help you fight off the illness and get you on the road to a speedy recovery.