Dear McGaw YMCA Community,
Yesterday, Governor Pritzker announced the state will transition to Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigations of Phase 4 to help slow the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Illinois. The mitigations will go into effect on Friday, November 20, at 12:01 a.m. and will continue until further notice.
In accordance with the new mitigation requirements, the McGaw YMCA will be suspending all in-person group exercise classes and activities in our main building facilities at 1000 Grove Street on Thursday, November 19, at 8:00 p.m. All scheduled in-person group exercise classes and group activities at the main building location will be canceled as of that time. The Fitness Center and pools will remain open for individual exercise only by reservation.
What Will Remain Open During Tier 3?
Fitness Center and Pools. Tier 3 allows McGaw to keep its Fitness Center and pools open for individual exercise ONLY. Members can continue to make reservations for lap swim, racquetball/squash courts, and the Fitness Center which includes use of the track and strength training areas. Personal training (in-person and virtual) will also remain open. Face masks are required at all times except when swimming.
Virtual Group Exercise Classes & Activities. During this time, McGaw is committed to providing a variety of virtual options for our members with your favorite Y instructors to continue your health and wellness journey. McGaw virtual fitness options are available at no additional charge to McGaw members. Also, for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Virtual Y 360 exercise classes are free and available to everyone on the Y360 YouTube channel, regardless of membership status.
Early Childhood and School-Age Programs. McGaw will continue to operate its early childhood, Head Start, and School-Age Remote eLearning programs for currently enrolled youth at our Children’s Center (1420 Maple Avenue) and Family Focus locations.
McGaw’s Men’s Residence Program. Our Residence Program will continue to provide housing and wrap around services for the 159 men who live alone at the McGaw YMCA. Our traditional group holiday meals are not possible this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, but our residents will receive an in-room holiday meal catered by local restaurants for Thanksgiving and again in late-December. We will continue to build new pathways to keep our residents engaged and supported as they shelter in place in the weeks ahead.
Active Older Adult Virtual Activities. We will continue to create virtual activities and provide technology training for our active older adult members, many of whom live alone and are feeling isolated right now. We are committed to helping them feel connected, especially during the upcoming holiday season.
What Will Be Closed During Tier 3?
In-Person Group Exercise Classes, Programs & Activities. All in-person group exercise classes and activities will be suspended throughout the duration of Tier 3, including AquaFit, group swim lessons, basketball clinics, and HIIT/cycle studio classes.
Forever Grateful
The safety and well-being of everyone in our community – especially our most vulnerable neighbors – is our top priority. While we can’t predict how long the COVID-19 pandemic will last, or whether additional state-wide mandates will impact our operations in the future, McGaw is committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure your safety. We have been working harder than ever to make sure everyone in our community feels safe and cared for as we navigate COVID-19 together.
Though group activities have been suspended in our main building, we hope you will continue to prioritize your health and wellbeing by participating in our virtual group activities and individual exercise options at McGaw. We are just as eager as everyone to reopen our doors fully, and when that time comes, we know it will be an exciting day. Until then, we will continue to do the critical work that is needed to keep our children safe, our seniors connected, our residents thriving, and our community healthy.
Our work is essential to our community, and the Y is in a unique position to provide these services. But we cannot continue this critical mission without support. With our main building operating in a limited capacity, your membership dollars will now help us continue this important work. If you have additional questions about your membership, please contact Member Relations at 847-475-7400 ext. 0 or send them an email at info@mcgawymca.org.
If you’re not actively involved with the Y, please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to our COVID-19 Response Fund using our online donation system. To discuss other types of support including in-kind donations, please contact Jodi Wickersheimer, Chief Development Officer, at jodiw@mcgawymca.org.
We are thinking of you, your families, and our community-at-large in all that we do. I am forever grateful for your support and thank you for being patient and staying with us as we move into Tier 3.
Monique Parsons
President/CEO
Please visit the Important Updates page (www.mcgawymca.org/updates) often for the latest information related to our operations and response to COVID-19.