Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraiser Set For Feb. 20

30 January 2012

Buffalo Wild Wings in La Porte will host a La Porte County Family YMCA Night from 6-9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20. The family-friendly sports bar/restaurant will donate 15 percent of the proceeds from food orders from that time to the Y's scholarship campaign.

We thank Buffalo Wild Wings for supporting our commitment to strengthening our community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

Large, Charlesworth Advance to National Finals

30 January 2012

Grant Large and Justene Charlesworth have advanced to the National Finals of the NBA FIT/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish, Presented by Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Goldfish. The finals will be held in February at NBA All-Star 2012 in Orlando.

Only 12 participants from across the nation advanced, as the top two scores from each division made the cut. Grant (pictured far right) advanced in the 7/8 boys division, while Justene (pictured center) moved on in the 11/12 girls division. Each receives an all-expense paid trip for two to the All-Star weekend, including the All-Star game and surrounding events.

Grant, along with his cousin Ryin Ott, placed first in the Chicago Bulls Regional Competition on Jan. 21. Ryin competed in the 7/8 girls division. Both advanced out of the Local Competition held Nov. 19 at the La Porte County Family YMCA.

Justene, from Wanatah and a Y participant in South County Youth Soccer, also took first place in her division in the Chicago Bulls Regional Competition. Justene also won her division last year in the Northwest Indiana Y Free Throw Championship.

All of the Regional Competition participants were provided with an official NBA FIT/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish T-Shirt, a regional award plaque and two complimentary Bulls game tickets for the Jan. 27 game versus the Milwaukee Bucks.

Grant is the son of Steve and Shari Large, Justene is the daughter of Ray and Juli Charlesworth and  Ryin is the daughter of Al and Jami Ott.

With Grant and Justene advancing, three La Porte County participants over the past three years made it to the National Finals. Ben Walker qualified in 2010 after advancing from the Local Competition at the Y.

For more information on NBA FIT, visit www.nba.com.

Free Throw Contest Set For Feb. 18

23 January 2012

The Local Competition of the Northwest Indiana Y Free Throw Contest will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Y’s Shick Gym. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. and the competition is free to the public.

The winners advance to the Northwest Indiana Championship held at noon Sunday, March 11, at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond. Separate age divisions for boys and girls include: age 9 and under (10 ft. basket, 12 ft. foul line, 28.5 ball), age 11 and under (10 ft. basket, 12 ft. foul line, 28.5 ball) and age 13 and under (10 ft. basket, 15 ft. foul line, official ball for boys and 28.5 ball for girls). Birth certificates must be provided as proof of age at Championship level. Age eligibility determined by age as of March 1, 2012.

For more information, contact Senior Program Director Mark Schreiber at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Register For La Porte YMCA Run

13 January 2012

The ninth annual La Porte YMCA Run takes place Saturday, March 24, at Soldiers Memorial Park in La Porte. The event includes a 10K run and a 5K run/walk.

The 10K run begins at 9 a.m. followed by the 5K run/walk at 9:15 a.m. Registration begins at 7:20 a.m. and concludes as 8:50 a.m. at Cummings Lodge. The course begins near Stone Lake beach and winds through scenic La Porte County.

The 10K competitive run has been sanctioned by the Calumet Region Striders as a Gold Cup Series race.

For registration information, click here.

Aqua Zumba Starts Jan. 9

06 January 2012

Make a splash and join our “pool party” workout for all ages! Aqua Zumba is coming to the Y in January. Held from 7-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Aqua Zumba is a safe, effective and challenging water-based workout, that integrates the Zumba formula and philosophy into traditional aqua fitness disciplines.

Don’t be fooled, this is not your normal aqua class, the moves are intense. Remember you will be moving your bodies for 45-60 minutes against the resistance of the water. The movements are challenging and you can really feel the muscles working against the resistance.

Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton are a few of the dance rhythms that are incorporated into this class.  Exercise movements include hamstring curls, Zumba shuffle, kicking, twisting and clapping.

Sunday Hours Extended For Winter

02 January 2012

Our members spoke and your Y has listened. We are now offering extended Sunday hours for the winter. Beginning Jan. 8, the Y will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

"Snow Day" Camp

02 January 2012

When La Porte Community Schools are cancelled for the day because of weather-related conditions, the Y offers our full-day mini-camp. Children can be dropped off as early as 6:30 a.m. and picked up as late as 6 p.m. Counselors lead children in scheduled activities throughout the day such as playing games in the gym, arts and crafts, an occasional movie, swimming and much more. Children bring a sack lunch, bathing suit and towel. Check our Facebook page or call (219) 325-9622 to confirm camp availability and start time. The fee is $30 per child for members or $40 per child for non-members.