Cashman: Great things to come at Sage YMCA

YMCA of McHenry County filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2011, blaming, among other other things, increased competition and a decline in membership.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago took over control of the YMCA of McHenry County in March 2011 after a judge approved the sale for $1.65 million.

In June of last year, the organization became the Sage YMCA with a donation from the Foglia Family Foundation.

Without the support from the Foglia family, it’s unlikely the Crystal Lake facility would have been able to continue its mission of strengthening the community through healthy living.

“I love, of course, the programs they have for the kids,” Foglia said last June. “The fitness and social responsibility, and all of those things, the core values they have here are the same as ours.”

The YMCA opened in 1976, and there was an addition in 1999.

It may not be state of the art, but there’s no lack of activity or enthusiasm at the Sage YMCA.

At 10 a.m. Thursday the large parking lot at 701 Manor Road was more than half full with cars. Outside was buzzing with summer camp activities – from one end of the grounds to the other.

Inside, an instructor was reading a story to a tot in the day-care area. Women were participating in a dance/aerobic class in the gym; a young girl who came with her mom was trying to keep in time with the music in back of the group.

In the indoor pool, three or four lifeguards kept watch as young swimmers practiced their back strokes.

Outside the pool area were shelves filled with trophies. One more award and they’re gong to need another shelf.

Weight and elliptical machines were humming in the exercise room.

This is all good, clean fun. It’s also what the Y is all about.

And it’s also why the YMCA is still relevant.

At the national level, Y-USA last week was named a preliminary awardee of a $12 million Health Care Innovation Award by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The Y is being funded to demonstrate how an evidence-based prevention program delivered by a community-based organization can lower incidence of type 2 diabetes and reduce the cost burden of the disease on the health-care system.