As a Realtor, I always include the Bayside YMCA  in Barrington as one of the great attractions the East Bay has to offer. I am excited about the Bayside YMCA’s expansion plans, In a nation increasingly focused on its health care activities, being proactive  is a great way of ensuring the future well being of our community.

 I was lucky enough to live in Barrington from 1954 until I graduated from Barrington High School in 1970.  Many of my childhood memories were housed in the then new YMCA.  I learned how to swim there and went swimming with my Dad, Phil Lapides, several nights a week. It was our special time and once in a while we even stopped at the Newport Creamery for a butterscotch sundae to celebrate our calorie burning exercise.  My first “job” was a counselor-in-training through all of my middle school years.

While the YMCA has always been much more than a pool and a gym, I was amazed to learn about all the diverse wellness programs offered today, including being one of only 9 YMCAs affiliated with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the cardiac rehabilitation program, in addition to the fitness programs I knew about.  As a business owner, I understand that wellness programs can reduce absenteeism and health care utilization rates up to 25%.

The culture of wellness takes time to build, and the expansion of the Bayside YMCA will help to better position them to help address new and expanding health concerns including childhood obesity and juvenile diabetes, as well as other issues.

This Week’s Real Estate Insight:

I urge everyone to help support their local YMCA any way they can.  It is through  people who believe that these programs are important to the quality of life in our community that these efforts are possible.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 3:58 pm and is filed under Real Estate Insight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.