Club Y for kids begins Feb. 28

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Updated: April 8, 2012 1:51AM

VERNON HILLS — Lake County Family YMCA is about to launch a brand-new program for kids ages 7 to 12.

The idea for Club Y came directly from YMCA members, according to Lake County Family YMCA CEO and president Lynda Chott.

“We do before- and after-school programming for kids right now, but one thing we heard from parents here is that there is not much going on in the community for the “ween” age in the evenings that allows them to socialize in a safe environment,” Chott said.

Starting Tuesday, Feb. 28, Club Y will be open at the Vernon Hills YMCA. Activities like air hockey, board games, Wii fit and using YMCA facilities will be available to Club Y participants, Chott said.

“It’s going to be a whole range of activities that are in line with the Y. We’re really going to be promoting a healthy, active lifestyle for those kids,” Chott said.

Club Y will meet Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Kids who attend will get to suggest themed nights for future meetings such as Hawaiian Night, Chott said.

For now, Club Y will only be at the Vernon Hills location.

“We’d love to be able to have that (program) extend to the Waukegan facility,” Chott said. “As interest grows, we’ll be expanding the program both in terms of nights offering and locations.”

She said she expected 25 to 30 kids to attend based on the requests from YMCA members.

Club Y, like other YMCA programs, tries to encourage the values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility, Chott said.

“It’s not just about coming and dropping kids off. It’s about a program that will really promote a healthy lifestyle and promote friendship,” Chott said.