MAPLEWOOD, NJ — On Jan. 22, the South Mountain YMCA set sail on a six-week quest to raise $182,500 for programs to make the community stronger. The Hanover Manor in East Hanover was packed with pirates as the seven branches of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges launched the 2019 Treasure Quest campaign. The branches […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Tom Kerns witnessed the benefits of mindfulness in teenagers and wanted younger children to learn it. Looking for ways to prevent bullying, Mike Summersgill believed character development would build resilience in children. Both turned to the South Mountain YMCA to set their vision in motion. Kerns and Summersgill became the South Mountain […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Carmen Puglio has been teaching elementary school students in the South Orange-Maplewood School District how to be street smart during the Beyond the Bell program on Thursdays and Fridays, giving kindergarten through fifth-grade students martial arts training so they know how to defend themselves and be aware of their surroundings. The Maplewood […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Jason Kelly, aka Coach Kelly, has been named the new director of youth sports and wellness at South Mountain YMCA in Maplewood. After playing football in college, Kelly pursued his passion for sports and wellness through a career coaching college football, while simultaneously earning his master’s degree in athletic administration from Springfield […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A photo captures the essence of Dave Berry’s more than 28-year career at the South Mountain YMCA. The image shows “Coach Dave” riding an oversized balance bicycle, followed by preschoolers like ducklings on wheels. “Kids take to him like bees to honey, from the littlest ones to the oldest,” said Victoria Robertson, […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Following respective ceremonies in the two towns, Maplewood and South Orange residents came together to celebrate Memorial Day at the annual Duck Race, hosted by the South Mountain YMCA at Memorial Park. Photos Courtesy of Kate Cestar
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The 20th annual Memorial Day Duck Race will be held Monday, May 28, from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Memorial Park. Join hundreds of locals to cheer your ducks to victory! There are six heats and more than 600 rubber ducks competing for terrific prizes and bragging rights. The first 13 […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A trip to Manhattan with the South Mountain YMCA shaped Daniel Goldsmith’s life. “As we headed toward Bryant Park, I saw a homeless man lying under some scaffolding, and I remember he had a sign saying ‘Please give me money … I am starving,’” Goldsmith said. The experience moved Goldsmith to action. […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — What longtime Maplewood resident Tom Kerns remembers keenly from the four months his wife underwent radical spinal surgery and rehabilitation in 2006 is the outpouring of support from the community. People they knew — and many they didn’t — offered to make meals, drive their daughters to activities and do whatever else […]
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Families are invited to the South Mountain YMCA on Saturday, April 21, for Healthy Kids Day, a free, fun-packed event to inspire children and their parents to engage their bodies and minds all summer long. From noon to 3 p.m., guests can tackle both a climbing wall and fitness obstacle course, and […]