Supporting the Community through the YMCA: "Y I Ride"
Coming up on the morning of Tuesday, February 21st the YMCA of Cleveland is hosting their 4th Annual “Y I Ride” fundraising campaign and this year Terra is getting to be a part! Our own Brittany Katz will be one of the riders helping raise money for our local YMCA.
We chatted with our friend Dina Dell at the YMCA to learn more about the fundraiser and what the YMCA has to offer our community.
Can you tell us a little bit about the Y I Ride Bike-a-thon? What is it and how did it come about?
Y I ride is an annual fundraising event for the YMCA. We have done it for 4 years or so, and we keep expanding it. We have increased to include 10 riders this year, and we are so excited! We used to refer to the event as Pedaling for Parkinson's, but we changed the name last year to better represent the all inclusive nature of the fundraising efforts. All of the YMCA programs benefit from the ride. It will be on Tuesday, February 21st from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Riders are already raising money. The real excitement comes during the event as we watch the numbers climb closer to the goal. Our hope is to raise at least $18,000 for this event!
Some people might wonder why it is important to support the YMCA... isn't the Y just another gym or sports club?
The YMCA is a community place where physical, mental, and spiritual health and wellness is prioritized. It is a place where our community can join together as our doors are open to all. We help families of all shapes and sizes. We have a very active senior population, and we love to see them attaining a better quality of life through fitness. We serve so many kids not only with before and after school care, but also with meals.
How does the Bike-a-thon specifically support the YMCA? Do the donations go to any specific programs at the Y?
We don't turn people away due to inability to pay. Scholarships for memberships, child care, Healthy Living programs like Rock Steady Boxing for people with Parkinson's disease and Livestrong at the YMCA for cancer survivors are available due to these fundraising efforts. Every single dollar that we raise will stay at the Cleveland Family YMCA.
I noticed that the Bike-a-thon flyer specifically mentions the Rock Steady Boxing class and the Livestrong at the Y -- can you tell us a bit more about those classes?
Rock Steady Boxing and Livestrong at the YMCA are both classes offered under our Healthy Living umbrella which includes programs that help with chronic disease management. Rock Steady Boxing is an ongoing class for people with Parkinson's. Livestrong at the YMCA is a 12 week program offered to adult cancer survivors. We are proud to offer it twice a year-in the spring and in the fall. In Cleveland, we also offer an afternoon and an evening class so that we can serve those survivors who are still working. Both of these classes focus on improving quality of life for these populations. Clearly fitness is the basis of both programs, but the community and fellowship that naturally occurs truly connects these people. It's amazing to watch and be a part of.
If someone wants to sign up for either of those classes how would they go about doing that? Are there specific registration periods? Do they cost?
Livestrong at the YMCA for cancer survivors is 100% supported by donations like the ones we earn during the Y I Ride campaign. Our cancer survivors pay absolutely nothing and the have a full memebrship to the Y for the 12 weeks of the program. Upon graduation, they are offered a steeply discounted rate to be come a Y member. Rock Steady Boxing is an ongoing program. There is a monthly fee of $60/month for Y Members or $85 for non-members. But again...no one is turned away for inability to pay! We have MANY boxers on scholarship that assists with these fees. Those scholarships come from this fundraiser!
How can people get involved in the Bike-a-thon?
On the day of the bike-a thon, you can call the YMCA (423)476-5573 or you can call Mix 104.1 who will be broadcasting live and make a pledge. Or, watch on Facebook for posts by your favorite rider, and click the link. There will be lots of texting and emailing links going on as we have a friendly competition to see which rider can raise the most money! We are actively taking pledges and donations right now! If you'd like to stop by the Y that morning, we'd love to have you come by and say HELLO!
Anything else you would like to share?
One of the best things about donating to my YMCA is that I literally can see and touch the people that are receiving benefit. It's not money that goes to some giant national non-profit that I can't see how my funds are used. People that I live near, work with, love and know are benefiting every day. I know personally that it is a wonderful investment of my money and time.
Tune in to Mix 104.1 the morning of February 21st from 7:30-9:30 to listen to the event live and pledge to the YMCA in support of the Terra team here or text YIRIDE10 to 71777! Readers can also learn more about the Rock Steady Boxing class and Dina’s involvement by listening in to our interview with Dina on the Terra Girls Podcast.
CASA Superhero 5k
We love timing races but we especially love it when they are for a great cause; the CASA Superhero 5k is the epitome of that. This fun and fast 5k is not only an awesome way to spend a Saturday morning (superhero costumes are encouraged!), it directly helps CASA assist vulnerable children in our county and beyond. We chatted with Executive Director Natalie Barrionuevo to learn more about the race a what CASA does in our community.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your involvement with CASA?
I stepped into the Executive Director role in January of this year. Previous to that I worked as the Advocate Manager and Casemanager. I have been with CASA since 2017 and have truly enjoyed every moment of it.
Would you mind telling us about CASA (the work that you all do in the community, what the name stands for, how long have you all been around, etc.)?
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a local program that works in the court system to advocate for abused and neglected children. We strive to put our volunteers at the forefront serving as advocates for the children we serve. The volunteers are the ones who go into the homes, meet with the children and speak on their behalf in the courtroom. We, as a whole, advocate for the best interest of the child we are serving. We make recommendations for services and needs in the homes that will assist in creating safe, stable environments for the children and their families. CASA has been serving Bradley County since 2010.
Can you tell us a bit about the Superhero 5k?
CASA's Annual Superhero 5k has been around since 2017; it is known as the Superhero 5k because that is what our advocates are. Many of the children we serve have no one in their lives that looks out for them. Our advocates are the superheros that come in and ensure they remain safe and in stable environments where they have the ability to thrive. Also, our donors are superheros as they choose to invest in one of the most vulnerable populations in our community. When you tie in our advocates and our donors, you create an entire community of superheros ensuring our children can thrive. This race helps ensure CASA staff can continue to support the advocates while they serve children and ensures that CASA can continue to meet the demands of the court system.
When and where is the race? How can runners sign up and how much does it cost?
The CASA 5k is going to be held May 14, 2022 at 8am at Greenway Park in Cleveland TN. You can sign up by going to casabp.org/5k and registering for the race. The race is 25.00.
Anything else that you would want to share?
CASA is in need of new advocates. This year has brought an increased set of challenges with an increase in drug dependency in Cleveland comes a higher case load of child abuse and neglect. This means we are serving more children and need more volunteers to do that. If anyone is interested in volunteering they can go to casabp.org and click on volunteer. They can fill out the inteerest form and someone will be in contact with them.