In advance of the opening of the newest YMCA location in the historic Sistrunk community, YMCA of South Florida will host its free Healthy Kids Day® from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 30 at the new L.A. Lee YMCA / Mizell Community Center, 1409 NW Sistrunk Boulevardin Fort Lauderdale. All other YMCA South Florida locations in Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties will also host Healthy Kids Day®, the Y’s national initiative to improve families’ overall health and well-being.
Free and open to the public,Healthy Kids Day celebrates with kids and families participating in healthy, fun activities including games, arts and crafts, healthy food demonstrations, entertainment, and more. Registration for class(es) isvia the mobile app or visit the local YMCA for more information.
Families can also sign up for early bird savings on Camp Y this summer, where kids make friends, have fun, get active and discover who they are and what they can achieve. Camp Y includes lunch and weekly activities such as singing, swimming, nature hikes, sports, fashion show and leadership training, which helps youngsters grow as individuals and leaders. Y Campers will also be able to sit with a literacy teacher daily to prevent summer learning losses. For more info on Camp Y and summer registration, visit ymcasouthflorida.org/summer-camp.
“We are so excited to give the community a sneak peek of this transformational new Y,” said Sheryl A. Woods, president and CEO, YMCA of South Florida. “We believe that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. We have a place here for the entire community to gather, get healthy and connect with one another.”
One in three U.S. children is obese, and when summertime hits, kids will be more idle. Research shows that without access to out-of-school physical and learning activities, kids fall behind academically and gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. Healthy Kids Day is an opportunity for the community to focus on what kids need to grow and achieve all summer long.
Sponsors of Healthy Kids Day are Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Miami Marlins, Nicholas Children’s Hospital and Publix Super Market Charities.
About the L.A. Lee YMCA / Mizell Community Center
The new four-story, 65,000-sq.-ft. L.A. Lee YMCA / Mizell Community Center, set to open with a ribbon cutting on May 20, will offer facilities, programs and services the community said they wanted to have and will serve more than 55,000 people annually.
Offered at the new YMCA on Sistrunk Boulevard are traditional Y program offerings; health and wellness programs; meeting and community space; retail space, including a Holy Cross Health center; a pre-school with early childhood learning options in the community; shared workspace; a Black Box Theater with cultural arts programming; and a swimming pool with the number one priority of teaching children to swim. Broward College occupies 10,000 square feet of space to provide certification programs that lead to jobs, careers and workforce development.
Nurturing the potential of youth in the community by providing positive environment and opportunities, the L.A. Lee Family YMCAcreates a place that provides complete health and wellness programs for kids, families, adults and seniors, afterschool programs, community events and meeting space. More than 100 jobs will be created with the opening of the new L.A. Lee Family YMCA, which is the oldest YMCA in Broward County serving the Fort Lauderdale community for more than 70 years.
The YMCA’s purpose is to provide programs and services that focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility that result in strengthening the foundations of the community.
The following YMCA locations in South Florida will celebrate Healthy Kids Day:
BROWARD COUNTY
Greater Hollywood YMCA Family Center
3161 Taft Street, Hollywood, FL 33021 •954 989 9622
Hallandale Beach YMCA Family Center
501 SE 1st Ave., Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 • 954 889 9622
L.A. Lee YMCA Family Center
408 NW Sistrunk Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311 •954 467 2444
Pembroke Pines YMCA Family Center
501 SW 172nd Avenue, Pembroke Pines, FL 33029 • 954 727 9622
Pembroke Pines YMCA Aquatic Center
1361 NW 129th Avenue • Pembroke Pines, FL 33028 • 954 447 7645
Weston YMCA Family Center
20201 Saddle Club Road, Weston, FL 33327• 954 424 9622
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
Downtown Miami YMCA
200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Ste. 15A, Miami, FL 33131 • 305 779 9622
South Dade YMCA Family Center
9355 SW 134th Street, Miami, FL 33176 • 305 254 0310
Village of Allapattah YMCA Family Center
2370 NW 17th Avenue, Miami, FL 33142 • 305 635 9622
MONROE COUNTY
Upper Keys YMCA Program Center
Key Largo Community Park, 500 St. Croix Place, Key Largo, FL 33037 • 305 453 3422
About the YMCA of South Florida
The Y is a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Every day, the Y works hard to build healthy, confident, connected and secure children, adults, families and communities through over 200 afterschool, preschool, special needs, sports, camp and youth programs, family centers, and senior health outreach sites. To learn more, visit www.ymcasouthflorida.org, connect on Facebook or Twitter, or call a Y near you.
