Darien YMCA

Darien YMCA Selects New CEO: Jennifer Gardner, Who Runs a Y in New Jersey

Workshop for Mothers and Their 11- to 13-Year-Old Daughters at Darien Y on March 17

Workshop for Women Considering a Return to Work after Having Children

Holly Pond School’s Annual Darien Family Fun Day on Sunday

Letter: Darien Family Day Dinner Attended by 150

Register Now for the Sept 22 Darien Family Day Dinner

Workshop at Darien Y for Mothers Considering Rejoining Workforce

Darien YMCA Invites Community to MindBodySpirit Festival Sept 16

Darien Y Offers Youth Stand Up Paddleboard Classes

Stand Up Paddleboard Classes Continue Through Summer at Darien YMCA

Darien YMCA Golf Scramble Rescheduled from Monday to June 21

Stand Up Paddleboard Classes with Discounts Available May 21 to June 17 at Darien Y

Opening Time: Darien Schools on a Two-Hour Delay Friday Morning [UPDATES]

Register Now for Darien YMCA February School Break Vacation Camp (Feb 16 to 21)

Darien YMCA Summer Camp Registration Begins Tuesday, Feb 7

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Darien YMCA

By David Gurliacci | February 5, 2017

The Darien YMCA has named Jennifer Gardner as its new chief executive officer, effective July 16. Selected by the Y’s Board of Directors after a six-month search, Gardner will succeed Pat Morrissey, who is retiring after 22 years with the Darien YMCA. — an announcement from the Darien YMCA

In her new role, Gardner will be responsible for carrying out a newly created strategic plan and raising awareness of and contributed support for the Y’s charitable mission. “During our search for a new CEO/executive director, we looked at candidates from throughout the country, but Jennifer stood out among a very capable and experienced pool of applicants,” said John Schrenker, president of the Darien YMCA Board. Gardner comes to the Y with over 10 years of leadership experience in the non-profit world, currently serving at the Sussex County YMCA in Hardyston, NJ.

The Darien YMCA is hosting the workshop, “Love the One You’re With”, a morning of discovery and connection for mothers and their 11-13 year old daughters. The session will be held on Saturday, March 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Darien Y and will be led by Executive Coach and mom Jen Schenkel and Gen Z expert ML Morvan. The cost to attend the workshop is $115 for Y members and $125 for non-members which includes both mother and daughter. The cost also includes the chance to get into the right mindset by attending a mother/daughter yoga class from 9 to 10 a.m., led by instructor Talita Moss and her daughter, Isabella. After this morning of theater games, writing, and real conversation, moms and daughters will walk away with new understanding and appreciation for each other, and tools they can take forward into their relationship.

Back by popular demand, the Darien YMCA is once again hosting “Graceful Transitions,” a workshop for women who are considering a return to work after having children. The workshop will be held on Friday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.. at the Darien Y. The cost to attend the workshop is $115 for Y members and $125 for non-members which includes lunch and a chance to win a free massage ($100 value) via raffle. Women who are mothers of children of all ages are welcome to register. “Graceful Transitions” was sold out when it was held in September 2017 so early registration is recommended.

Holly Pond School Family Fun Day 10-13-17

Pony rides, magic shows, bounce houses and other fun take place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday at Holly Pond School’s 22nd annual Family Fun Day. This fun-filled family event at the Darien YMCA is open to the public and is designed for preschool- and elementary school-aged children. __________
— an announcement from Holly Pond School
__________
Tickets cost $30 per family, and all proceeds will benefit the Holly Pond School. The event features:

Entertainment by Magician Danny Magic

Music by Ray & Jay

Fun Bus

Skee-Ball and Whack-a-Mole arcade games

The Famous “Melt Mobile” — a gourmet grilled cheese food truck

Pizza from Heights Pizza

Bake sale treats

Pumpkin decorating, donated by Noroton Heights Stop and Shop

Face Painter Funela, donated by Darien Toy Box

Volunteers from Darien Depot Youth Center

Arts & crafts

And many more surprises! The event will go on, rain or shine.

To the editor:

On Friday, Sept. 22, approximately 150 people enjoyed the hospitality of the YMCA at the 7th Annual Family Day Dinner. Sponsored by the Darien YMCA, the Thriving Youth Task Force (a subcommittee of The Community Fund of Darien) and the Darien Youth Commission, Family Day — A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children was launched in 2001 by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Family Day is a national movement that reminds parents that the engagement fostered during frequent family dinners is an effective tool to help keep America’s kids substance free. Family meals are the perfect time to talk to your kids and to listen to what’s on their mind.

Join the Darien community for “Family Day Dinner” on Friday, Sept, 22, at the Darien Y. “Family Day Dinner” will include dinner, swimming, open gym time, arts & crafts, games, and an evening of fun for the whole family. This free, fun-filled family event promotes the concept that families who regularly dine together minimize future risk factors. Family Day Dinner was originally launched in 2001 by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. “Research shows that the more often kids eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to engage in risky behaviors. In addition, these kids are more likely to have more family support, positive peer influences and positive adult role models.

The Darien YMCA is hosting “Graceful Transitions”, a workshop for women who are considering a return to work after having children. This 4 ½ hour workshop will help women begin to navigate an important transition back to work with grace, openness and a perspective of growth. The workshop will not deliver “tips and tricks”. Rather, it will focus on identifying values, purpose, vision and creating a narrative for change. Participants will emerge inspired, nourished, connected and confident.

The Darien YMCA invites the community to meditate, enjoy massages, shop local businesses, and bend with the Y’s community of yogis for a great cause at the second annual Mind*Body*Spirit Festival. The festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Darien YMCA. A variety of the Y’s yoga and meditation instructors, stand up paddle boarding coaches, rock wall guides, and trainers, will be providing special workshops throughout the day. The workshops have been designed to transform the mind, body, and spirit of participants.

Registration for the new “SUP Youth” (stand up paddleboard) classes for ages 11 to 14 is currently open with registration online at the Darien YMCA website or at the Front Desk. ___________

— an announcement from Darien YMCA

___________

SUP Youth offers two classes: SUP Yoga and SUP Fitness. Both require no prior paddleboard experience, making it a great place to start:

SUP Yoga takes yoga to the next level. It will help to improve core strength, balance, and focus, all while enjoying the aesthetic Holly Pond. SUP Yoga will be offered on Mondays (July 10, 17, and 24) and Fridays (July 14, 21, and 28) from 4 to 5:15 p.m.

SUP Fitness is a great way to switch up a workout.

Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) classes have begun at the Darien YMCA. The Y offers a variety of classes including PaddleFit Intro, SUP Fitness, SUP Yoga, and SUP Pilates. Registration is available online or at the front desk. Unlike many Stand Up Paddleboard rental establishments, the Y paddleboard programs are taught by the best instructors, emphasize fitness, and use only high-quality boards tailored for paddleboard workouts in a safe, serene location. The YMCA offers the tranquil Holly Pond as the backdrop for these classes.

The Darien YMCA Golf Scramble event, which had been scheduled for this coming Monday, June 5, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, June 21 due to expected bad weather.

The annual event raises money to fund programs for children with special needs. __________

— an announcement from Darien YMCA

__________

Times will remain the same:

7:30 a.m. Check-In & Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. Shotgun Format Tee Time
1 – 4 p.m. Lunch, Prizes, and Open Bar
$175 per golfer
$75 per non-golfer Luncheon Only

Please see our website for further details. For questions, please contact Amy Kiser at akiser@darien-ymca.org

The event takes place at the Griffith E. Harris Golf Club, 1300 King St., Greenwich.

Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) season will begin May 21 at the Darien YMCA. Registration has already begun on the Darien Y website and at the Y’s front desk for classes including PaddleFit Intro, SUP Fitness, SUP Pilates and SUP Yoga. A discounted rate is available for classes offered May 21 to June 17. PaddleFit Intro is a one-hour introductory paddling course, will be offered starting Sunday, May 21. The course will cover paddle techniques, safety, and more, to give participants a great foundation for their stand up paddleboarding excursions.

Update: 8:46 p.m.: Darien Public Schools have announced that when they open Friday, they’ll be on a two-hour delay. Here’s the full text of the announcement on the school district website:
The Darien Public Schools will have a 2 hour delay for February 10, 2017. The Board of Education Budget Committee meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. has been postponed.

Update 9:31 p.m.: The Darien YMCA will be open starting at 5 a.m., Friday. Here’s their announcement (via email):

Our facility will open at 5am with fitness programs as scheduled.

The Darien YMCA will be offering vacation camp during the winter break for kids from 3 years old through 5th grade. Children will enjoy their time off by swimming, creating arts & crafts, playing in the gym and participating in field trips and special events. Register now by visiting the Front Desk or online. _____________

This announcement originally was published by Darienite.com on Jan. 25.

« August 2022 »

Registration for Darien YMCA Summer Camp starts this week, with various start dates depending on whether your kid was in camp before, whether you’re a member of the Darien Y and whether or not you live in town. Here are the complicated details:

___________

— This announcement is from the Darien YMCA website. ___________

Tuesday, Feb. 7 — Returning 2016 Campers who have a current Darien YMCA membership. Registration begins at 10 a.m.
Thursday, Feb. 9 — New Campers who have a current Darien YMCA membership and are Darien Residents. Registration begins at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Feb.