People often read or hear the statement, “new year, new me,” around this time annually. The Botetourt Family YMCA in Daleville is just the place for the community to take that term and make it a reality and not just a post on a social media platform.
The Botetourt Family YMCA Branch Executive Marshall Fedolfi recently spoke about what’s on the horizon for the Botetourt community members and non-members.
“We usually see trends with increases and decreases in membership throughout the year,” Fedolfi stated. “Typically in the winter, especially in January, we do see an increase. Now with COVID, that throws those trends off. Since we had to close in March 2020 and reopen, there’s been a gradual incline the whole time. We’ve seen a nice boost in January and look to see that increase continue through the spring.”
Coming up, the YMCA has a lot to offer for the youth of Botetourt. Y Spring Camp (April 13-17) and Summer Camp (starting May 31) are opportunities for kids to experience activities and field trips.
The YMCA offers youth sports such as soccer and T-ball and a “Kids Night Out” program on Friday nights. The Y provides swimming lessons and the chance to be a part of the YMCA swim team consisting of swimmers from all over the Roanoke Valley.
“Y Splash” is a water safety program the YMCA offers youth to gain a better knowledge of safety and swimming. Botetourt elementary school second-graders experience “Y Splash” annually
Adults may get in on the fun as well. The Y offers pickleball clinics on Wednesday nights in March; pickleball is a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong often seen played inside the Botetourt Y’s gymnasium.
Starting in April, there is a “Couch to 5K” program on Tuesdays and Thursdays that is a walking/running program that helps people prepare to run or walk a distance race.
They offer personal training and boot camps like the boxing boot camp that roll around monthly.
If someone doesn’t want to leave their home but wants to experience what Botetourt’s YMCA has to offer, “YMCA360” is an option. One of the nation’s YMCAs developed the program over the COVID-19 pandemic, offering individuals a chance to practice wellness from home while YMCAs closed for a brief period. The program provides virtual physical activities and other activities such as cooking lessons and yoga.
“One of the big things we’re still trying to communicate is that as a non-profit, there’s a lot we can do to give back to the community or to make things more accessible to people where maybe price or accessibility to programs is an issue,” Fedolfi mentioned. “We raise money annually to provide financial assistance for both membership and programs.”
Last year the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge gave out over $475,000 in financial assistance to help people afford membership, camp, and program costs.
To learn more about the Botetourt Family YMCA and the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, visit https://ymcavbr.org/ for registration information on upcoming events, camps, and activities.