May 20, 2020  

Your Y is overjoyed to announce we will reopen Wednesday, June 3.

We've missed you: your smiles, energy, conversation and humor.

The past several months have been so challenging for all of us and we thank you for doing your part to help stop the spread of coronavirus--- especially for the benefit of our most vulnerable neighbors.

We know that many of you will continue to stick close to home, and we want you to know that we are still here for you. We'll continue our live Zoom and YouTube fitness classes. 

But we will also open our doors in a phased approach now that Lane County has been given approval to reopen some businesses and organizations.

As we prepare to reopen our doors, please be assured that your safety--- and the safety of all our members and staff--- is our No. 1 priority. We're following guidelines from health experts and local officials to ensure that our facility follows all of the guidelines for sanitization and safety, and we have modified our policies and programs to facilitate safe physical distancing practices.

Our general safety protocols will include requiring members to: 

We strongly encourage you to bring your own mask to wear at check-in and when walking through the facility. Masks protect us all, so please help us and comply.

Please bring your own, filled water bottle. Water fountains will not be in use other than the bottle-fill fountain.

Our services will be limited in order to ensure they are delivered in a safe and supportive way and to comply with state mandates. We are also taking measures to ensure that staff and members can get used to the new processes.  The facility will be open for:

Y staff members will be wearing masks, cleaning and sanitizing high-use areas and enforcing 6-feet physical distancing requirements.

Right now, we are spreading out all of the cardio and strength training equipment in the Health & Wellness Center and the gym to create distance between the members using each piece. We continue to clean and paint. We are installing industrial fans to improve airflow in the Health & Wellness Center and the gym. And we are creating clear signage to help members get used to a new way of using their beloved Y.

Obviously, your Y will look and feel different,  but please know that it's the same Y you know and love. 

Please also note that your Y's Phase I is the most restrictive level of access for members. 

Due to state guidelines, aquatics are not permitted to open at this time. Locker rooms, sauna, steam and hot tub areas will all remain closed during Phase I. As we move into new phases, we will open up other areas of the facility as we are able.

As a nonprofit dedicated to keeping our community healthy, safe and thriving for all, Y members like you make our impact possible. Thank you for staying with us during these incredibly challenging times. Thanks to your support, the Y was able to provide critical child care services to first responders, medical professionals and essential workers, virtual fitness classes for members to maintain health and wellness and outreach out to all members to combat depression and anxiety.  You were here for your community when it needed you most, and we remain here for you.

 

After 12 long weeks, we are so happy to welcome you back to the Y!

Note: More information will be available about returning to the Y, including how to reserve workout times and complete online waivers. We will be updating the website regularly. Thank you for your patience as we communicate the details of our phased reopening.

Another edition of Stall Street Journal ready for your bathroom!

The latest edition of your Y's signature Stall Street Journal can be found HERE. 

Until you can enjoy the local news and humor in person at your Y, we hope you will enjoy it in your own home.

Y Kids' Challenge with UO Tennis Star Courtney Nagle

Oregon Ducks Women's Tennis Head Coach, Courtney Nagle, has a challenge for Y kids this week! Courtney was a former Duck, competitive women's tennis player and assistant coach before returning to the Oregon Women's Tennis program as the Head Coach. In college, she helped lead the Ducks to the NCAA Tournament appearances and was the first women's doubles all-American in UO history. Before committing to her coaching career, Nagle competed as a world-ranked tennis professional on the World Tennis Association, winning 15 career professional doubles titles and reaching a doubles ranking of No. 97. 

Check out the challenge HERE.

This week's challenge is to see how many times you can hit a tennis ball on a racket before it hits the ground. Just make sure you have enough space around you so that you don't run into anything! If you don't have a tennis racket, no worries! You can use a pan instead. And if you don't have a tennis ball, you can grab another type of ball and use that as well.

To enter the challenge, take a picture with your tennis racket and ball and let us know how many times you hit the tennis ball without dropping it! Be sure to tag @EugeneFamilyYMCA and use the hashtag #YKidsChallenge to be considered to win. The winner will be announced in the Eugene Family YMCA's ENews update on Wednesday, May 27. It's important to make your post public so we can see it! 

We can't wait to see your awesome tennis skills! 

Your Sewing Skills and Generosity Help Keep Y Staff and Members Safe

Thank you so much to those who have donated cloth masks to Y staff. 

These beautiful masks will help us keep our members and staff healthy and safe. In order to reduce the spread of germs, Y staff will be wearing protective gear in the presence of coworkers and members.

Our staff will sport your masks with pride! Whimsical colors, patterns and characters are always welcome at your fun-loving Y.

Anyone else interested in making and donating masks to the Y are welcome to! While our doors remain closed, please drop masks off at our front doors anytime Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one of our Y staff will retrieve them. Please include your name so we can properly thank you!

Don't know how to make a mask? A Y member passed along these clear  instructions .