Help Us Celebrate Greater Cincinnati’s Young Role Models For Character Values

They are 40 of Greater Cincinnati’s truly exemplary role models of caring, respect, honesty and responsibility. And they are ALL teenagers. On April 17, 2012 we are inviting communities to join us in celebrating them as YMCA Character Award recipients at an awards event beginning at 6 p.m. at the School for Creative & Performing Arts. The event is sponsored by Tom Gill Chevrolet and FOX19.

To see the bios and photos of all 40 YMCA Character Award honorees, please click here.

 “Our YMCA Character Award recipients are each making their own very powerful difference in their own personal way. They are shining examples of what the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is all about,” said Rebecca Kelley, YMCA group vice president.

Tickets for the 15^th annual YMCA Character Awards Event are $25 per adult and $10 per youth; and can be purchased by calling 513-246-3205. The YMCA Character Awards kicks off our celebration of Global Youth Service Day, an international service event celebrating the service contributions of youth, in partnership with YSA, State Farm, and United Healthcare.

Please click here for Event information.

Tim Hart Is New Director Of Competitive Swimming For YMCA Barracudas

The M.E. Lyons YMCA announces its new Director of Competitive Swimming for the Anderson YMCA Barracudas swim team, Anderson resident Tim Hart.

He comes to the role with a wealth of experience in competitive swimming.  As a swimmer at the University of Cincinnati, Hart won 10 individual conference titles and was named MVP in 1994-95.  He also had the honor of competing for his country as a member of the English National Swim Team.  As a coach, Hart started his career with the Anderson YMCA Barracudas  and then worked with such impressive programs as the Greater Toledo Aquatic Club and St Francis de Sales High School before returning to the Barracudas in 2006.

“Tim has already shared numerous thoughts about how to continue the great traditions of the Anderson Barracudas and the YMCA while also bringing in new ideas to further build the program toward being a national YMCA champion team and a program that develops swimmers at all levels,” said Bill Powell, YMCA group vice president and executive director for the M.E. Lyons YMCA.

 

December Is YMCA Camp Month For Kids

At the YMCA, we see thousands of kids each summer grow through new friendships, activities that encourage their creativity, and teamwork. So, we figured, why wait until June? Let’s have camp for Greater Cincinnati kids in December!

And what a perfect way for parents to have extra time for themselves to prepare for the holidays.

Below is a list of camps by our Greater Cincinnati branch. Please pre-register by contacting the branch directly.

 

YMCA Child Development

Our Child Development is running winter camps at two locations:
Valley at 7617 Reading Road and West at 4991 Cleves-Warsaw Pike
For 5-12 years
$30 per day, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack.

Week one:  Dec 19-Dec 23 $150 (5 days)
Week two:  Dec 27-Dec 30 (4 days) $120

To register: Y West – 513-921-0111
Valley – 513-761-2219

Campbell County

1437 S. Ft. Thomas
Ft. Thomas, Kentucky 41075
PH: 859-781-1814
December 22nd – December 30th
7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Cost:  $25/members or ASP participants
$30 community members
Ages:  5 – 14

Carl H. Lindner YMCA

1425B Linn Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45214
513-241-9622

December 19 – 30
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Cost: $105 per week or $30 per day

Clermont Family YMCA

2075 James E. Sauls Sr. Drive
Batavia, Ohio 45103
PH: 513-724-9622
November 23 and 25
December 21,22,23,26,27,28,29 & Jan. 2
6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Daily Fee:   $25/members and $40/non-members
For ages 6 to 11

Clippard Family YMCA

8920 Cheviot Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio 45251
PH: 513-923-4466
December 22, 23 and December 26-30
6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Daily Fee:  $30/member and $40/non-member
For ages 5-14

Gamble-Nippert YMCA

3159 Montana Ave
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211
PH:  513-661-1105
December 19-23 and December 26 -30
6:30 a.m. -6 p.m.
Daily Fee:  $20/members and $30/non-members
For ages K-6 grades

Powel Crosley, Jr. YMCA

9601 Winton Rd
Cincinnati, Ohio 45231
PH:  513-521-7112
December 19-23 & 26-30
6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily
Daily Fee:  $35/member and $35/non-member or
Weekly Fee:  $135/member and $170/non-member
For ages K to 6th grade

Winter Gymnastics Camp
December 20 – 23rd
9:00 am – 12:00pm
Ages: 4-12
Cost:  $60/members and $85/nonmembers
Basketball Camp
December 27 – 30
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Ages: 7 – 12

R.C. Durr YMCA

5874 Veterans Way
Burlington, KY 41005
PH: 859-534-5700
December 22 and December 27, 28, 29 and 30
6:30am – 6:00pm daily
Daily Fee:  $30/members and $35/non-members
For ages K-14

 

Richard E. Lindner YMCA

2039 Sherman Ave
Norwood, Ohio 45212
PH: 513-731-0115
December 23 and December 27 – 30
7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Daily Fee:  $20
For ages: 5 – 12

 

YMCA Camp Ernst

7615 Camp Ernst Rd
Burlington, Ky 41005
PH: 859-586-6181
7 pm Friday, December 30 to 2 p.m. Sunday, January 1
For ages  6 – 15
Cost:  $105 per child

A Celebration For Cincinnati Families Impacted By Autism

Are you a Cincinnati area family with a child who has autism? Our Clippard Family YMCA invites you to attend their FREE holiday party with swimming, crafts…and of course, Santa!

This is one event to which you’ll definitely want to bring your camera.

Special thanks to Olive Garden for donating dinner for all guests. The Clippard Family YMCA welcomes families to bring a dessert to share.

 December 3, 2011
7:15 to 9:15 p.m.
Clippard Family YMCA in Colerain
(8920 Cheviot Rd; 45251)

Please RSVP with the number of adults & children coming to: clippardautism@cincinnatiymca.org or 513-362-2890

 

 

Our 2011 Salute Gala Celebrated Achievements

Please click the play button to see our Salute Gala photo album slide show.

(Photos by Mark Bowen)

David Garibaldi, known around the world for his unique stage entertainment, wowed our guests of the Salute to YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Gala as he created before their eyes four 6 ft tall painted masterpieces that were each auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Through David’s art, we emphasized painting a vision for your destiny. He himself became internationally known because he focused from a young age on his goal and ultimately transformed his gift into a means for impacting the world.

It was all part of ourcelebration of the potential of young people when inspired by caring adult role models who are volunteers of the YMCA. The thirty-seven professionals who were honored as 2011 YMCA Achievers are also giving of their time to nurture young people through the YMCA’s college readiness program.

Also honored were eight teens selected to receive YMCA scholarships, including Breana Marie Nicholson – who was honored as 2011 YMCA Teen Achiever of the Year. Lisa Martin-Patterson and Olivia Darks were honored as YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program Community Volunteers of the Year. James T. Cowan, MBA, and Chrystal Davis, were honored as YMCA Adult Achievers of the Year.  For the complete list of honorees, please click one of the links below:

2011 YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Adut Achiever honoree bios

2011 YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Black & Latino Achievers Volunteer of the Year honorees

2011 YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Adult Achiever of the Year honorees

2011 YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Teen Achiever honorees

We also partnered with ArtsWave to showcase local multi-cultural artistic talent, with work from Elementz (designer – Forty); aim Cincinnati (designer – Tyson Betts); Cincinnati Black Theatre Company (designer – Robert Harris); Bi-Okoto Multicultural Institute (designer – Frank Satogata); Eye of the Arts Foundation (designer – Annie Ruth); and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. All of the ArtsWave paintings are on display at the downtown Macy’s.

One of the largest regional programs of its kind, our YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program motivates students of color to further their education and goals with help from successful, professional role models. Since its beginning, the Program has served over 6,000 teens, awarded over $200,000 in scholarships, assisted youth with over $4 million dollars in awarded scholarships and engaged more than 4,500 adult volunteers through a network of corporate and community partners.

For more information, please visit our YMCA of Greater Cincinnati website – www.myy.org and click on Black & Latino Achievers.  Or click this link.

YMCA Scholarship Recipients Received Special Gift

At our Salute Gala, in addition to honoring adults who are giving back, we also had the great pleasure of recognizing eight of our 2012 graduating YMCA Teen Achievers who have earned YMCA scholarships.  We will be posting more about them this week; however, we want to mention how special it was when they all were invited to a fitting with Macy’s stylists for their first business suit. The professional attire is a gift from the downtown Macy’s store (Macy’s is a major sponsor of our YMCA Salute Gala) and Mrs. Kay French, a YMCA of Greater Cincinnati board member.  

You’re Invited To Our Y At Duck Creek Open House!

YMCA Member Bryan Myers Lost 141 Pounds

At 29, Bryan Myers knows the pain of losing a mother because of the same lifestyle that was causing him pain. He knows what it is like to look adversity square in the face and come to the realization that he is going to overcome. And he knows what it is like to finally look in the mirror and say, “I am in control now.”

In Myers’ family, there was no such thing as eating healthy. Shopping lists included snack cakes and cookies. Exercise was walking to and from rooms or buildings. And the weight, well, that was a continual incline.

It was September 15, 2010 when Myers made a decision and a commitment to change the rest of his life. That was the day he joined the Clippard Family YMCA. “I stepped on the scale and was horrified. I weighed 410. I had lost others to obesity, I couldn’t do things with my nephews, I just got angry,” he said. “It was enough to tip me over the edge and gave me determination.”

The beginning of his trek, he remembers, almost didn’t happen because the only parking spot he found that day was far away from the door. “I got so winded that I didn’t even want to go in,” Myers recalled. “Then I was embarrassed. I thought people were looking at me and I could only go about five minutes on the treadmill.”

He found it in himself and he kept coming back. He changed his whole way of life actually and soon the YMCA staff and other members caught notice. They became his motivators.

Little by little, inch by inch, a whole new man was evolving. These days Myers – an inside sales representative at Vitronic Promotional Group in Mason – works out at the Clippard Family YMCA six days a week. He has lost 141 pounds and seven sizes. And, he is training to run in his first 5K race.

 “Bryan has been a real inspiration to all of us at the YMCA. We’re here to help people achieve their health and wellness goals, at whatever level will be the most beneficial. With Bryan, it has been his inner determination and positive attitude that has kept him on his path toward achieving his health goals,” said Susan Leytze, director of wellness for the Clippard Family YMCA.

“I feel great. This is a feeling that everyone deserves,” he said. “I will not let weight control me anymore.”

 

 

ArtsWave Partners With Us To Celebrate Dreams Through Art

This year, as part of our Salute to YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Gala, we are emphasizing painting a vision for your destiny. Our featured artist, David Garibaldi, has become an international sensation because he focused from a young age on his dream of transforming his gift into a means for impacting the world.

In Cincinnati, we have our own very talented artists who are pursuing their dreams every day. We are partnering with ArtsWave to celebrate these diverse artistic talents that enrich our region.

Coordinated by ArtsWave, the following multicultural arts partnership organizations have been working with professional designers to create original canvases illustrating how ‘community’ is created through the arts. Immediately after our Salute Gala viewing, these wonderful pieces will be on display at Macy’s downtown.

Participating organizations and artists:

Elementz:  Design by “Forty” graffiti art and the urban core

Elementz engages and inspires youth to unleash their inner creativity and develop respect for others by involving them in performance, community development and leadership through the value of the Hip-Hop culture

 Arts Innovation Movement (aim cincinnati): design by Tyson Betts

Formed in 1997, aim cincinnati uses dance as a common language to promote unity and interaction between people of all walks of life. Each year aim presents four major dance programs featuring professional and pre-professional dancers.

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company: design by Robert Harris

CBTC keeps the spirit of Black Theatre alive by offering top-notch theatrical productions, performance and employment opportunities, children’s theatre, educational programs and community outreach.

Eye of the Artists: Design by Annie Ruth: Metamorphasis: I Am the Change (collaboration with Saint Ursula Academy)

The Eye of the Artists Foundation serves as a catalyst for exposure of the arts to underserved communities with an emphasis on youth. It promotes education, literacy and creative expression.

Bi-Okoto Cultural Institute: Design by Frank Satogata

Celebrating their 18^th season, Bi-Okoto is a professional African music and dance company based in Bond Hill whose mission is to preserve, promote and share the rich cultural heritage of Africa and Africans. Each year Bi-Okoto strives to engage, entertain and educate by providing arts education residencies, productions and free classes that serves over 300,000 locally, nationally and internationally.

 

(Here, an artist from Bi-Okoto is working on their canvas.)

 

 Additionally, YMCA students are also working on a canvas.

 

 

 

Salute to YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Gala

Friday, November 4, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
Bank of Kentucky Center
Tickets: $100 per seat
For information please visit YMCA of Greater Cincinnati website

To reserve your seat, please call us at 513-362-2012.

Are You Ready To Be Amazed?

David Garibaldi is known the world over for his amazingly unique ‘Rhythm and Hue’ stage entertainment combining exhilarating music with hip-hop moves as his arms flail with paint transforming a blank canvas into a graffiti-style masterpiece. And if you live in Greater Cincinnati, you can see him live … only at our Salute to YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Gala!

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Sacramento, David’s early life was overshadowed by the tough environment that surrounded him. He was not immune to the lure of graffiti life, and he found a niche in urban art. A high school animation teacher first inspired him to take his passion for graffiti and turn it into a more positive and creative direction. David never forgets this encouragement and more importantly the value of someone believing in him. Every performance is an opportunity to give back – either through teaching youth or providing resources to the community.

The buzz over “Rhythm and Hue” performances has reached celebrities, CEOs, politicians, and pro athletes. David has been featured on various networks such as MTV, NBC, PBS, in addition to coverage in worldwide publications.

He has raised over $700,000 for nonprofits and charities across the country through his art. By 2013, his ambitious personal goal is to use his platform to raise more than $1 million for nonprofit organizations through his art and performances. He works closely with charities such as Special Olympics, Echoes of Hope, Sacramento Children’s Home and World Vision.

And, after David creates his 4 6ft masterpieces at our Salute Gala,
we’ll auction them off with proceeds
benefiting our YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program
helping more than 600 teens each year to realize the power of their dreams & determination

 

Friday, November 4, 2011 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Bank of Kentucky Center on NKU Campus
Cost: $100 per seat
Reservations: 513-362-2012