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Member Profile: Eleanore Havel
If you happen to visit the Geauga Family YMCA on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., you may have run into Eleanor Havel. Eleanor comes five days a week and walks in the gym. She has a lap counter and often does 40 laps. Since 17 times around our gym is one mile, that’s approximately 2.3 miles. Eleanor walks after she’s already done over 300 exercises at home before even arriving. Wow!
I asked her if she had always been a person that worked out and she said, “No, I started when I was about 60.” Eleanor is 87 years old and “holding” she says. Very active and not one for standing still very long, Eleanor says you are never too old to start exercising.
Eleanor has been a member since the Greater Cleveland YMCA became affiliated with the Silver Sneaker Program. She has been a Silver Sneaker member since 2006. Her first encounter with a YMCA was when she was a young girl who moved to the Cleveland area to find a job and a place to live. She lived at the Y on Prospect Avenue for a short while until she found her own place and a job as a waitress at Clark’s Restaurant in the Hanna building.
Eleanor and her husband raised two sons in the Geauga county area. During her life she has had many, many hobbies, business ventures and crafty happenings. She has done quilting, wood carving, silversmithing, enameling, and taught ceramics, just to name a few. She still teaches doll restoration on Saturdays at the Doll Hospital in Chesterland.
It is so much fun to hear the stories of our Y members. I challenge each of you to look across the treadmill, elliptical, aquatic class or aerobic class and introduce yourself and make a new friend and enrich your life. As Eleanor says…”You are never too old to start.” |
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Staff Profile: Jennifer Fedor
My name is Jennifer Fedor and I am the new Member Engagement Director at our Geauga Family YMCA. I have been a member of this facility for three years and have really enjoyed meeting the wonderful staff and taking part in classes and community. I can now look forward to becoming an integral part of its continued success as the Membership Engagement Director. I have lived in Munson with my husband and daughter for the past four years and have had the pleasure of getting to know the people that make up our community. I have been in education sales and recruiting for over ten years in the post- secondary and online sector and feel that this transition will be challenging and very exciting. I am looking forward to this opportunity and hope to make a positive impact in this role.
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Staff Profile: Matt Parish
The Geauga Family YMCA is pleased to have on staff Matt Parrish, the new Aquatics Director for the YMCA of Greater Cleveland. His tenure with the branch began five years ago and he is responsible for aquatics operations at our branch. Responsibilities for Matt include swim team, water exercise, lifeguard staff, swim lessons and other activities related to the pool. Matt is excited to work in an area he is passionate about and hopes to improve overall operations in the aquatics department.
Improvements that Matt will work on include adding dry-land fitness training for swim team participants and improving the communication with members and staff. Matt’s hobbies include swimming - imagine that! He also likes listening to music and spending time with family. If you see Matt, please congratulate him on his new role. |
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Youth Enrichment Classes
All classes on Saturdays (all sessions)
Dino Explorers (*All New), 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Kids Can Cook Too, 10 a.m. - 10:45
Mess Makers, 11 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Underwater Adventures, Noon - 12:45 p.m.
Paper Sensations, 1 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Mark your calendars! Camp is around the corner and registration for both Sports and Tot Camps will begin on Monday, March 5.
New Holiday Camp – Winter Youth Sports
Looking for something to do over the December Holiday break? The Geauga Family YMCA will be holding two special holiday camps. Relive the summer camp fun in December. Camp will include sports and fun themes with daily trips to the pool. Please contact Mike Dutton, Program Director, for more information. He can be reached at mdutton@clevelandymca.org.
Week :1 Dec.19
Week 2: Dec. 26
Fee: Member $100 Program Member $120
Skills Classes
Our skills continue to grow and will be new offerings in 2012. We will continue to offering tennis and now will have winter sessions where they will play indoors, please call to get further information.
Another exciting addition to our skills classes will be our Sports Combo class, where participants will be able to learn a variety of sports, we will also be offering a morning session for the combo class.
Rookie League – 5-7
Practice Thursday’s, 5 pm
Games Saturday’s after basketball |
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Who, What, Where, When, Y
Annual Christmas Boutique
Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 am-2 pm
Mom’s Morning Out
10 am – 2 pm
Fridays, Dec. 2, 9 Jan. 6, Feb. 3, March 2, April 6
Parents Night Out
5 pm - 9:15 pm
Fridays, Dec. 16, Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 18, April 15
School’s Out Fun Days
8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Dec. 19-23 and 26-30, Jan. 16, Feb. 17 & 20, April 5, 6, 9-13
Y’s Little Explorers
Consult schedule | |
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Alexandria Nichols, Branch Director
I was sitting at home enjoying the weekend with family and friends when my work phone rang. Seeing that it was the branch I though it best to answer and find out what issue was taking place. I figured there was a power outage and I was being notified. After answering the phone, I wished it was only a power outage. The branch staff told me Howard Nikkila, one of our aquatics staff members, had passed away suddenly while on vacation. The details were limited but melancholy sank in immediately.
Overhearing the conversation, it was with sadness that I notified my houseguests. The young son of my friend was disappointed to learn that Mr. Howard, his swim instructor, had passed away. Having held leadership roles I have had the occasion to hire, to discipline and to terminate but never have I dealt with death of a co-worker. But Howard was more than just a co-worker. He was a member of the Geauga Family YMCA family. It was hard to believe that something so tragic had happened to one of us.
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Howard joined the Geauga Family YMCA shortly after the branch opened and has been with us for nearly six years. Parents and swim lesson participants appreciated Howard for his discipline in teaching youngsters how to swim. Water exercise participants were all a buzz that something so tragic could happen to us. Howard’s sister Molly shared that Howard always enjoyed water and he enjoyed working at the branch. Many of the Y staff family enjoyed Howard for his comic relief and dedication to the pool. Some knew that Howard had a past as a professional comedian. What a joy to have on staff and as a member of our family, someone with such an exciting background.
When staff came to work on Monday, we immediately began thinking of ways that we could honor Howard. We were honored to have him as a member of our family and want his legacy to live on. Howard’s family was also interested in helping us to honor him. Quickly we brainstormed ideas and came up with two that will help Howard’s memory live on. First, we will implement an annual award in 2012 for lifeguards and swim instructors for outstanding performance. Second, we will add a bench to the pool patio in Howard’s name. The family happily worked with us to establish the memorial fund and donations are accepted at the branch. We will miss Howard but knowing that he is here with us in spirit is a comfort. I look forward to honoring his memory annually with the award and hope that members receive great joy on the patio bench. |
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