This was a very important summer at the YMCA of Snohomish County during a crucial time in our community. This summer, Y programs positively impacted thousands of youth and families around the county through camp, aquatics, youth sports, and our mentoring program through Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Y teams at all six locations helped build community, cared for youth and families, and worked to ensure our school-age youth are ready for this fall.
Over 1,600 youth attended YMCA summer camp at 15 locations, including two outdoor day camps. “There’s nothing like a YMCA camp experience,” said Peyton Tune, President and CEO of YMCA of Snohomish County. “We’re thrilled that we were able to give so many local youth positive experiences in the areas of social integrations, environmental awareness, self-confidence, and personal development.” Thanks to a partnership with Snohomish County, the Y was able to ensure access for all youth and support integrated behavioral and mental health professionals to our Y staff teams.
The YMCA’s aquatics programs continue to be a significant community asset throughout the pandemic for people of all ages. Over 2,000 youth participated in swim lessons this summer and the Y’s six pools offered families the opportunity to play together and adults and seniors a place for fitness and well-being. On July 31, swimmers from all six branches came together to compete, have fun, and show their friends at families how much they have improved over the course of the swim team season at the first YMCA Inter-squad Meet. “This is the first time that our individual swim teams have come together to compete as a league,” said Tune. “We are excited to see where this momentum takes us as we enter another swim team season.”
Youth sports provide a great opportunity for young adults and adult mentoring with volunteer coaches. Last fall, the YMCA of Snohomish County was the first in Washington to offer “Safe Start Sports” and we continue to be a regional leader in all youth sports in Snohomish County. “Families are seeking safe, supportive activities for their kids, and kids need opportunity to connect with peers and engage in healthy fitness activities,” said Tune. “We have expanded our program services to multiple sports and year-round programming for ages 3-16.” This summer, the YMCA of Snohomish County served 1,300 youth with over 250 volunteers supporting our summer soccer, volleyball, basketball, t-ball, flag football, and sports clinics.
For more information on YMCA programs, please visit ymca-snoco.org.
