
July Active Older Adult Programming Calendar

Join us at Glenwood Park YMCA for a fun-filled morning of laughter, water balloons, and fundraising! 💙🎯 Take your shot at soaking our Program Coordinator, Curtis Jones, all while supporting the YMCA’s Annual Campaign. Upgrade to a Gold Balloon for a surprise twist that Curtis definitely won’t see coming! 👀🎁
📍 Location: Lower Parking Lot, Glenwood Park YMCA
📅 Date: Wednesday, July 16
🕙 Time: 10AM – 12PM
💵 Pricing:
1 Balloon – $5
5 Balloons – $20
Gold Balloons – $50 (Includes a surprise!)
Donate Here
Let’s put the “fun” in fundraiser and help continue our mission at the YMCA of Greater Erie! 🙌
Grab your friends and family, let’s make this an EPIC summer!
Check off 20 Items from our FREE Summer Bucket List Challenge and be entered into a chance to win EPIC prizes, including a Grand Prize of $2,000, a 28″ Blackstone Griddle, 2 Adirondack Chairs, or an Igloo Cooler.
How it works:
1. Scan the Bucket List QR code or visit StrongLife.org/registration beginning June 1st, 2025.
2. Pick up your Bucket List from any of our locations or download it here.
3. Grab your friends, family, or even fur-babies to complete the activities with you (WAY more fun than by yourself)
4. Complete at least 20 activities before July 31st, 2025, and return your Bucket List form to any of our locations to be entered for a chance to win prizes.
May is National Water Safety Month. When the weather starts to heat up, the pools, lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water start calling! While swimming can be a very enjoyable activity this summer, it is important to remind all parents and caregivers of the importance of water safety. The YMCA of Greater Erie is sharing these six tips on how children can stay safe in and around the water.
Tip # 1: Make sure children know to always ask permission before going in or near the water.
Teaching your children to be water smart is the first step in water safety – be sure they understand the importance of asking permission before going in or near the water.
Tip # 2: Never swim alone without a water watcher.
When children are swimming, make sure they are actively supervised at all times. Teach your children that they should only swim in locations where a lifeguard is on duty, or where a responsible adult agrees to watch the children in the water without distractions.
Tip # 3: Supervise your children whenever they’re in or near water.
Whether it’s bath time or taking a dip in a pool or the waterfront, make sure your children are within arm’s reach at all times.
Tip # 4: Don’t engage in breath holding activities.
Neither adults nor children should hold their breath for a prolonged amount of time while swimming, as this can be dangerous.
Tip # 5: Wear a life jacket.
Inexperienced or non-swimmers should always wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while in or around the water.
Tip # 6: Don’t jump in the water to save a friend who is struggling in deep water.
If an adult or child finds their friend in deep water unexpectedly, their natural reaction may be to jump in the water to try and save them. Even if they are a great swimmer, a panicked person will overpower them, pulling the rescuer underwater. The Y’s Safety Around Water program teaches the “reach, throw, don’t go” concept of using a long object to reach for them and pull them to safety. By using this technique, an adult or child can help their friend without compromising their safety.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of our commitment to protecting the children in our community, we’re participating in the Five Days of Action® – a week-long campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip us all to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign and implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, The YMCA of Greater Erie is committing to the safety of all children in our community.
The Know. See. Respond. campaign is back this year, and Praesidium, Saprea, and Lauren’s Kids have shared resources to support this campaign.
Know
When evaluating camps, sports, and other activities for your child, do you KNOW what questions to ask about abuse prevention? As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults, we play a vital role in protecting children and teens from abuse. Learn the key questions to ask from Praesidium, the YMCA’s partner in child abuse prevention: praesidiuminc.com/6-key-questions-a-parent-should-ask-of-an-organization.
See
When we SEE grooming patterns—methodical, subtle, gradual, and escalating behaviors used to groom a child for sexual abuse—we can identify them, strengthen our intuition, and protect children. Learn the 6 grooming behaviors every parent or caregiver needs to know and what to do if you see them, from our partner, Saprea: saprea.org/blog/6-perpetrator-grooming-behaviors.
Respond
RESPONDing starts when a child or teen feels heard and is helped. How can you take action to prevent child sexual abuse? The Trusted Triangle (for younger children) and the Safety NETwork (for older youth) are strategies from Lauren’s Kids Safer, Smarter Families Family Safety Toolkit. These resources are designed to help families and caregivers teach personal and digital safety in a comfortable and accessible way.
Grades K-2: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-k-2 Grades 3-5: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-3-5
We take our commitment to child protection seriously, and we hope you do too.
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Y is honored to commemorate and celebrate female figures within the history of the YMCA movement who were vital to the success and empowerment of all current and future women leaders in the Y.
Ellen Brown
Ellen Brown was the first female YMCA employee in 1886 when she was hired to serve as the “boys work secretary.” Brown taught a night class at the Y that grew so rapidly, it eventually became a whole department!
Addie Hunton
As part of the YMCA’s massive World War, I support effort, Addie Hunton was one of only three African American women assigned to serve over 200,000 segregated Black troops stationed in France. Hunton was also YWCA secretary for Black student work and vice president of the NAACP.
Marguerite Cockett
Marguerite Cockett graduated from Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1905. In 1916 she bought a car and brought it to France where she worked as an ambulance driver under the American Fund for French Wounded. She spent three months in Serbia establishing a French-Serbian hospital and served on a hospital ship in the Mediterranean. In 1917 she established the first canteen under the YMCA American Expeditionary Forces.
Wilhelmina “Willie” Aveling
Wilhelmina “Willie” Aveling began her YMCA career as a physical director in Atlantic City. In 1933, she joined the staff of the Chicago Metropolitan YMCA to find ways to improve programs for women and girls. For the next 28 years, she helped develop policies and recruit women leaders within the YMCA movement. She was the first woman to be inducted into the YMCA National Hall of Fame.
Winifred Colton
Fighting to improve the status of women in the YMCA, Winifred Colton began her extensive YMCA career as women’s and girls’ work secretary at the YMCA of Metro Chicago. In 1957, the YMCA’s National Council’s statement of purpose no longer applied to “males only,” and Colton became the first woman professional on the national staff.
Violet P. Henry
After holding various executive leadership roles in the Newark and Chicago YMCAs, in 1976, Violet P. Henry became the first woman to be named to a top management position at the Y’s national office. She provided leadership for numerous national and international commissions and committees that worked for the rights of women and people of color.
Xinia Brenes Jenkins
One of the founding members of the San Jose YMCA, Xinia Brenes Jenkins was deeply involved in the Costa Rican Catholic youth movement. The Latin American Confederation of YMCAs reached out to Jenkins for her assistance in instituting a national Costa Rican YMCA. Jenkins’s work for the Costa Rican YMCA focused on providing programs for refugees, relief for those affected by housing shortages, and offering vocational skills training for women and agricultural skills training for Costa Rican natives.
Suzanne McCormick
In 2021, Suzanne McCormick became the first woman to serve as President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. A 30-year nonprofit executive, Suzanne is a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the nonprofit and social impact sectors. In her role, she serves as an inspiration and symbol of what’s possible for future women leaders, including the millions of girls and young women who engage with the Y as members, participants, staff and volunteers.
We are thrilled to share an exciting update that underscores our commitment to providing you with the best possible fitness experience.
The YMCA of Greater Erie has invested more than $540,000 in 86 brand-new pieces of state-of-the-art cardio equipment across our association.
This significant investment was driven by the valuable feedback we received from you, our members, during the demo periods. Your input played a vital role in helping us choose the equipment that meets your expectations and enhances your workouts. Thank you for taking the time to share your opinions and contribute to this decision-making process.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining a safe and sanitary environment was our top priority. While essential, the frequent use of disinfectants over time led to the deterioration of electronic systems in some of our machines. This new wave of equipment will not only bring an enhanced experience but also reduce the number of machines that are out of service.
We are collaborating with five different vendors to bring you the best variety and quality. The first pieces are set to arrive in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for updates as we install and introduce this new equipment.
Thank you for your continued support and feedback. We can’t wait for you to enjoy the new additions to your YMCA!
County Y Equipment
– Free Motion Incline Trainer (1)
– Life Fitness Treadmills (6)
– Life Fitness Recumbent Bike (2)
– Life Fitness Upright Bike (2)
– Life Fitness Power Mill (1)
– Concept 2 Rowers (2)
Total new pieces of equipment @ CTY 14
Eastside Family Y Equipment
– NuStep Recumbent Bikes (2)
– Free Motion Incline Trainer (2)
– Free Motion Coach Bike (2)
– Concept 2 Rower (1)
– Life Fitness Treadmills (8)
– Life Fitness Power Mill (3)
– Life Fitness Ellipticals (4)
– Life Fitness Recumbent Bike (5)
– Life Fitness Upright Bike (4)
– Life Fitness Arc Trainer (1)
– Precor AMT (2)
– Precor EFX Crosstrainer (2)
Total new pieces of equipment @ ESY36
Glenwood Y Equipment
– Free Motion Trainers (2)
– Free Motion Coach Bike (2)
– Life Fitness Treadmills (10)
– Life Fitness Upright Bikes (2)
– Life Fitness Power Mill (2)
– Life Fitness Ellipticals (2)
– Life Fitness Recumbent Bikes (4)
– Life Fitness Arc Trainers (2)
– Precor AMT (4)
– Precor EFX (2)
– Concept 2 Rower (1)
Total new pieces of equipment @ GLY 35
Downtown Y Equipment
– Free Motion Coach Bike (1)
* Downtown will also receive a lightly used Free Motion Incline Trainer from the ESY.
Total new pieces of equipment @ DTY 1
Gerry Vandemerwe will retire after 35 years of service
Erie, PA (May 16, 2023) – The YMCA of Greater Erie Board of Directors announced the upcoming retirement of CEO Gerry Vandemerwe after 35 years of service to Erie County’s second oldest non-profit organization.
Chairwoman Julie Wilson shared Vandemerwe’s retirement announcement with the Y’s board and employees at its regular board meeting on May 16.
“The YMCA is grateful to Gerry and his leadership of our Y and to the Erie community. He’s championed a culture that invests in its employees and built upon a long-standing reputation of accountability, reliability and fiscal responsibility,” said Julie Wilson, YMCA of Greater Erie chairwoman.
Wilson will chair an ad-hoc search committee that will work with Y-USA to conduct a nationwide CEO search to be concluded by year-end.
Vandemerwe, a native of Durban, South Africa, was recruited by Gannon University to play soccer and moved to the United States in January of 1984. Vandemerwe is a Gannon University Sports Hall of Fame inductee and still holds the University’s Goal Scoring Points Leader record established in 1988.
Hired in 1989 as a program director at the Downtown Y, Vandemerwe progressed through the Y’s career lattice working his way to CEO in June 2003. “I’ve been very blessed to call Erie my home and to be part of the Erie community for almost 40 years.”
“I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to grow my career within the Erie Y,” Vandemerwe continued, “I am proud of all we’ve accomplished. Our staff team is superior, and I am proud of the fact that a culture of growth and opportunities has been provided to all the staff of the YMCA. I have stood on the shoulders of some very talented leaders in our history.”
The Erie Y has been recognized as a Top 100 Y in the country among its 800 peer YMCA associations. This accolade is based on operational budget size. Vandemerwe accepted the Y-USA Childcare Champion CEO award 2010 at the Y’s National Childcare Conference in Orlando and was just one of five CEOs to be awarded this recognition.
“I really enjoy visiting our Y locations and seeing the impact our programs have on those we serve. The diversity of our programs affords us the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, from infants as young as six weeks to people in their 90s,” reflects Vandemerwe.
The Y’s impact was recognized by The Nonprofit Partnership in 2020 through its inaugural award of Nonprofit of the Year. The Y has received numerous “Erie’s Best” choice awards for its youth development and healthy living work.
And, for Vandemerwe, the Y has played a large part in his life. Through his employment at the Y, he met his wife Amy at the Eastside Y 30 years ago. Their three boys (Tyler, Joe and Kyle) participated in many Y programs throughout their youth.
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About the YMCA of Greater Erie
The YMCA of Greater Erie is a leading nonprofit community resource founded in 1860. It provides services and programs in the areas of youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Its cause is to strengthen the community. It serve a diverse population of men, women, and children with an emphasis on families.
Deeply rooted in communities throughout Erie County, the Y works in partnership with like-minded organizations to collectively improve the quality of life of all citizens by aligning our priorities with our community’s vision as identified by Erie Vital Signs.
Its membership is 21 million strong and spread across more than 2,600 Y associations nationwide. Here locally, four membership branches, outdoor recreation center, nine early and school-age education program centers and community outreach programs serve more than 35,000.
Curious why Social Wellness is important? Believe it or not, healthy relationships are a vital component of health. The health risks associated with being alone or isolated in one’s life are comparable to the risks associated with cigarette smoking, blood pressure and obesity. As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, our friends at the Capital District YMCA share that in addition, research shows that:
After taking into consideration the serious effects that a lack of social wellness can have on your overall health, here are some tips that can help you obtain excellent strength in this dimension.
There are many opportunities here at the Y to strengthen social connection and share hobbies and interests. Or, you may connect with opportunities in Erie County at Get Connected.