The New Tampa Family YMCA will host Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. For 25 years, this event has been celebrated at YMCAs across the nation. This year, the focus of this free event – open to everyone in the community – is to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active, especially as the summer months approach.
This year, after several years of participating in one central event for all nine Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA branches, the New Tampa Family YMCA will host its own Healthy Kids Day celebration. Located just off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. next to Compton Park in Tampa Palms, the New Tampa Y will open its doors to the community for a variety of fun activities, all encouraging families to focus on an active lifestyle.
“The New Tampa YMCA is here to support families in healthy lifestyle choices,” says membership director Jill Godfrey Rupp. “Everything you will see and experience at Healthy Kids Day will reflect that.”
Godfrey Rupp says there will be a bounce house, face painting and lots of crafts and activities for kids. They can sample activities to get a feel for some of the Y’s summer day camps, as well as camps offered by vendors, including LEGO learning activities provided by Bricks 4 Kids.
There also will be games led by camp counselors, and sports led by youth coaches. The day will include water safety information and activities, and the chance for families to sample wellness classes, such as the popular “family boot camp” classes. The childcare area for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, known as the “Kid Zone,” will have a parachute activity for those ages.
Vendors such as doctors, dentists – including New Tampa Pediatric Dental – and even the New Tampa Regional Library, will help families see how to make healthy choices in many areas of their lives.
“We look at it from a whole healthy lifestyle perspective,” explains Godfrey Rupp, saying that healthy kids need to both be active and make healthy food choices, and also be actively engaged in learning in a way that’s fun. “We want to show families how they can make those choices.”
Since Healthy Kids Day is open to the entire community, non-members can get a glimpse of the amenities available to those who join the New Tampa Y. Members were recently emailed a survey asking about their experiences and the improvements they would like to see. Last year, those survey results led branch leadership to add an additional group exercise room and expand group exercise classes to include Barre, boot camp, Active Older Adults and more. This year’s survey will help drive the next round of improvements at the Y.
The New Tampa Family YMCA is located at 16221 Compton Dr. For info, call 866-9622 or visit TampaYMCA.org/locations/New-Tampa. — CM
Congratulations go out to U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. and plastic surgeon Raj Ambay, M.D., and his wife, dermatologist Aparna Ambay, M.D. (2nd & 4th from the left in the photo , right), the owners of both Ambay Plastic Surgery and 360 Dermatology in the Summergate Professional Park (behind Sam’s Club on S.R. 56).
“We are truly grateful to be joining the community of Tampa Palms and New Tampa,” said pharmacy director Shahida Choudry. “Our staff looks forward to serving the community and residents for years to come with this new location.”
Owners Beatriz and Rob Hiller and their amazing staff received an outpouring of love from about 200 people, including many elected officials and Chamber and Rotary friends from New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Central Pasco, Zephyrhills, Dade City and Carrollwood (to name a few).