YMCA of Greater Toronto celebrates our city’s youth
Teen Night at Mississauga Burnhamthorpe Rd. YMCA Centre
TORONTO – September 20, 2017 – This summer, the YMCA of Greater Toronto marked Canada 150 by providing one-year health and fitness memberships to 150 youth between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. The YMCA of Greater Toronto launched the Teen Fitness Celebration on July 31, 2017 inviting community partners, local organizations, YMCA volunteers and YMCA program participants to take part through an online public contest and nomination process.
“I am delighted with the response to our YMCA Teen Fitness Celebration, which aimed to help more youth reach their full potential,” explains Medhat Mahdy, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Toronto. “The goal of this initiative is to support more teens by giving them access to safe social and physical environments, where they can feel connected to their community and experience personal growth. I look forward to welcoming our new members this fall.”
The YMCA Teen Fitness Celebration ended August 31, 2017 and winners of the 150 one-year health and fitness memberships were contacted earlier this September. To allow for a broad and fair representation of youth applicants, this online contest included nominations from organizations within the community and YMCA of Greater Toronto program leads, as well as from YMCA Teen Council members.
Youth that regularly attend YMCA Teen Night® were also given the chance to win, with 50 of the 150 memberships allocated to those participants. From playing sports to taking a music, arts or dance class, Teen Night programs are run by youth and supported by adult mentors.
“By giving away these 150 year-long health and fitness memberships to our youth, we’re investing in Canada’s future,” states Mahdy. “We’re continuing the YMCA’s legacy of over 160 years of working with young people in the GTA to help build health, confidence and leadership skills through effective and holistic programming.”
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For more information contact:
Nora Gorman
E: Nora.Gorman@ymcagta.org | T: 416-928-3362 x 22476 | M: 416-906-7896
Deane Code
E: Deane.Code@ymcagta.org | T: 416-640-4661 | M: 416-732-4835
About the YMCA of Greater Toronto
For well over a century, we’ve provided leadership and worked with partners solving complex social problems to create real, measurable outcomes that have strengthened the social health and fabric of communities. As a charity, the YMCA offers a variety of programs responding to the needs of the community, including education and training, employment and immigrant services, family and youth services, health and fitness programs, child care and camps. Serving the population of the GTA, Durham, Peel, York, Halton Region and Dufferin County, last year the YMCA connected with more than 546,000 people across 409 locations. www.ymcagta.org
About YMCA Teen Night
Developed in response to the needs of our growing and diverse communities, YMCA Teen Nights are addressing issues such as belonging, sedentary behaviour, obesity, and disengagement. YMCA Teen Nights are designed to support youth who want to get active, build new connections, hone their leadership skills, and become engaged members of their communities. Each and every weekend, Teen Nights give between 9,000 and 12,000 youth free access to safe spaces where they can build confidence and meet positive role models.
