NEWS & UPDATES
the Franklin Y

Posted on: Thursday, November 10th, 2016

Holiday Events

Let’s Get Festive!

We offer a number of great holiday events to get together with your neighbors, family and YMCA friends! Join us for a good time.

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, Dec 17
Santa will be visiting the YMCA to share an annual Hockomock tradition that includes a delicious pancake breakfast, crafts, and photo opp’s. Don’t miss it!

EVENT DETAILS:

Seatings offered: 9:00am and 10:00am – the Franklin Y
Seatings offered: 8:30am, 9:30am, and 10:30am – the North Attleboro Y and the Foxboro Y
cost: $5 for family or single-parent members / $8 for others – (adults required to enroll if planning to eat)

Reserve your seats – Foxboro

Reserve your seats – Franklin

Reserve your seats – North Attleboro

The Polar Express

Sunday, Dec 11 (movie starts 9:30am doors open 9:15am)
Join us for a private viewing of our favorite Christmas film…the Polar Express. We will meet up at Route One Cinema Pub (652 E. Washington Street, North Attleboro) and enjoy breakfast items & hot cocoa while watching the film.

At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

EVENT DETAILS:

$7 per person for family or single-parent members – $11 others
Registration closes Dec. 2 – (tickets will NOT be sold at the door)
Bells will be given out to children – love this!

Buy your movie tickets now

Candy Cane 5K/1K

Tuesday, Dec 13
Walk, Run, Swim – you choose how you participate, but we do know you’ll burn some calories & say “so long” to any holiday stress that’s creeping up on you. We are excited to announce this opportunity to get into the spirit of the holidays while being active with family and friends.

• Swim: this option will be in the Foxboro Y’s indoor pool and everyone gets a candy cane swim cap. Choose to start your 1K timed event (roughly 26 laps) at either 5:30am or 7:30am. Sign Up here questions? Edwin Fladger
• Walk/Run: meet us at 6:00pm on the Foxboro Y’s indoor track to get a great 5K workout in! All participants will be given some Y swag to wear home. Sign Up here questions? Lauren Hynes
• Cost: $7 per person

Swim with Santa

Saturday, Dec 17 (1:00-3:00pm)
Bring your friends and family to celebrate this holiday season at the Y and enjoy holiday crafts and… swimming with Santa!

• Bathing suits must be worn by all swimmers (swim diapers required if not potty-trained) and inflatables should be left at home. Safety reminder: children must be accompanied by an adult and for kids under 8, an adult guardian must also be in the pool (within arm’s distance).
• Cost: $6 per person or one unopened toy donation. Pre-registration is required. questions? Edwin Fladger

Posted on: Wednesday, November 9th, 2016

Legends Online Auction

A Benefit for the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Integration Initiative

Bid To Open
Doors of Opportunity

Legends Ball will be held on November 15 and is our YMCA’s signature event raising funds for our innovative Integration Initiative. For 12 years our Integration Initiative has been responding to the emerging needs of local children and families, providing opportunities for children with special needs and disabilities to participate alongside their typically developing peers in Hockomock Area YMCA programs, activities and services.

Our online auction opens at noon on Tuesday, November 15.

MAKE A BID!

Even if you cannot attend the Legends Ball, here is an excellent opportunity to contribute and get a great deal on items up for bid in many popular categories!

DINING, TRAVEL, ENTERTAINMENT:

• Orlando vacation week at Vistana, including Splittsville Orlando experience (7/2-7/9/17)
• Tour and Tasting for six at Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyard
• An overnight at the Hilton + $50 CBS Scene
• Domino’s Pizza for a Year
• Adult Party at Splitsville/Howl at the Moon
• Renaissance overnight and gift card
• Tickets for a PPAC show (Lion King 3/5/17) with $100 gift card and Hotel Stay
• 2 tickets for Donny & Marie at Foxwoods (11/26/16 8pm)
• $50 complimentary dining experience at Season’s Buffet at Mohegan Sun
• Newport Experience (2) Mansion Tickets
• Lake Pearl Brunches for a Year
• Flank Gift Certificate

HOME, ART, FAMILY:

• Family Fun Package- 4 Waterpark Day Passes to Great Wolf Lodge, Winter Skate Family Pass, and 4 general admission Pawsox (4/11/17) Tickets
• Paint Nite at Muse
• $100 Gift Certificate to Cardi’s Furniture
• Willow Tree Thanksgiving Dinner

JEWELRY, BEAUTY, FASHION:

• Kate Spade Bag
• Steinfort necklace

SPORTS & MEMORABILIA:

• Gronk Autographed Jersey
• 2 Celtics Tickets
• DBC Autographed Golfer’s Pin Flags
• Bill Lee Autographed baseball
• Rob Ninkovich autographed Jersey
• Rob Ninkovich autographed mini helmet
• Selection of DBC Pin Flags signed by: Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, or Adam Scott
• King Pines Ski Area Gift Certificate
• Bill Belichick Autographed Football
• Devin McCourty Autographed Jersey

Auction ends at noon on Thursday, December 15, 2016. Thank you for your support and recognizing that together as a community, we care for one another, accept one another, bring friends and neighbors closer, and connect to a larger purpose.

Posted on: Friday, October 7th, 2016

The Legends Ball – Nov. 15

OPPORTUNITY
INCLUSION
IMPACT

TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Rob Ninkovich, New England Patriots Linebacker, To Receive 2016 Legends Ball Award

Join us for an evening of distinction featuring New England sports legends and honoring Rob Ninkovich for his passion and commitment to children with special needs and their families.

Cocktail Reception 6:00pm
Introduction of Legends 7:15pm
Dinner with Legends 8:00pm

Lake Pearl
299 Creek Street, Wrentham, MA

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE

Our Integration Initiative continues to provide unique, innovative and impactful opportunities for children with special needs and their families.

The Integration Initiative was created to meet an emerging need in the communities we serve, recognizing the importance of supporting children with special needs and their families, providing a community of inclusion at our YMCA.

Since 2004, more than 1,000 children and families have participated in our Initiative. Many participants have grown up in the program and families continue to look to our Y to provide more opportunities as children transition into the challenges of young adulthood. Environments are established that promote social growth, relationship building, and the comfort in knowing the Y is here for families.

OUR INITIATIVE INCLUDES:

The VIP Club (Volunteering through Inclusive Partnerships)
The VIP Club, introduced this year, meets weekly and provides opportunities for Integration Initiative participants over the age of 17 to learn about volunteering at our Y and within the community.

New Horizons Summer Camp
Our New Horizons summer camp provides an inclusive setting of traditional summer camp for children with special needs. 2016 marked the 6th year of New Horizons with 150 campers with disabilities attending over 600 weeks of summer camp.

Unified Sports
We support two Unified Teams in both basketball and flag football comprised of youth and young adults with and without disabilities. In 2016, over 50 participants with disabilities were involved in our Unified Sports Program.

HAY Harmony
HAY Harmony, a program inspired by our Y’s swim team, recently celebrated its 6th season. This teen program meets monthly with more than 40 kids with and without disabilities enjoying social time in the Spier Family Aquatics Center at our Invensys Foxboro Branch.

Inclusive Golf Team
Now in its third year, our Inclusive Golf Team has a roster of 20 golfers with and without disabilities. This year, the team enjoyed events sponsored by TPC Boston, The Deutsche Bank Championship and MGA Links.

Thank you for your role in creating a culture of inclusion and diversity celebrated at our YMCA every day. The important funds raised through your support and generosity make a tremendous difference in the lives of young people and their families.

Please respond if interested in attending no later than Friday, October 28. For further information, contact Peter Waisgerber at 508-643-5251 or peterw@hockymca.org.

Presented by: CVS Health

Posted on: Wednesday, October 5th, 2016

Where Community Comes Together

Summer 2016 was a record setting, fun-filled experience for thousands of local kids and families.

Adventure trips, new climbing trees, hammock villages, remote controlled race cars, paddle boards and our new and innovative STEM activities for campers were new additions to our traditional offerings, making summer camp among the most special times in the lives of the children we serve.

Program quality, and a safe and nurturing environment for kids, were combined with great leadership from role model counselors who brought with them an energy and enthusiasm that permeated throughout all of our camps this summer. 10,242 sessions of summer camp in 2016 represents an increase of 20% from the previous summer.

Another source of pride at our YMCA is the opportunities for employment extended to high school and college age role models. This summer we hired 241 camp counselors under the age of 21, in many case providing teens with their first job.

Brittany Gretchel, who is 16 years old and starting her junior year of high school, exclaimed, “I’ve been going to the Y as a camper since I was 7 years old, the Y has been part of my life since I can remember.” In her first year as a counselor working with 5 year olds Brittany says, “It’s a lot of fun working here and getting to know all the kids and I feel like I really make a difference. There was one girl who had never been in a pool before this summer and she did not want to go in the pool at all. And now she’s swimming by herself, it’s so cool to know we helped her get to this point.”

Experiences like the one described by Brittany happened each and every day as over 1,000 kids a day attended camps at our locations throughout the communities we serve. And like we are fond of saying, “It was the Best Summer Ever.”

August was special for participants in our Y’s Integration Initiative. Members of our Unified Golf Team once again met, interacted, and putted with professional golfers from all over the world during the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston.

We take great pride in our partnership with our friends at TPC Boston and the Deutsche Bank Championship and once again enjoyed a wonderful experience.

And on August 23rd teens with special needs and disabilities from our Integrated Voyager camps experienced a day on our Ropes Challenge Course at the Kyle Van De Giesen Outdoor Leadership Center at Camp Elmwood in North Attleboro. It was an awesome afternoon as kids continued to overcome fears and obstacles as they scaled the high ropes in an environment that inspired courage, perseverance and teamwork.

Thank you all for your continued support and friendship of our YMCA. It means a great deal to all of us and more importantly makes a great impact on the thousands of kids that came to our Y this summer.

Ed Hurley

President, Hockomock Area YMCA

September news from the office of President Ed Hurley