[November 28, 2008]  YMCA Before and After School programs will be on break during the weeks of Dec. 22-Jan. 2. The programs will resume on Jan. 5.

School's Out Fun Days will be offered at the YMCA Activity Center, 719 Wyatt Ave., from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 22, 23, 26, 29, 30 and Jan. 2 for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Seasonal activities, several guest speakers and recreational fun are planned. Call the Y office for registration fees and details.

The next YMCA Special Art Day at the Y Activity Center will be Jan. 19, 9:30-11 a.m., for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Children will experience the "magic of color" and make a tie-dye T-shirt during this fun hands-on class. Participants must bring a white T-shirt to class and be sure to wear old clothes for this potentially messy project! Program fees increase $3 after Jan. 12.

The Y "fitness crew" has only 1 1/2 weeks left of the YMCA's Hip/Hop Dance and Punch/Kick Fitness classes. As the classes wind down for the holiday season, remember that the YMCA has a great instructor, no-nonsense fees and a curriculum that fits ALL fitness levels. Classes will resume in January, so don't miss out.

From James Bond to Dr. Doom, you never know if you will portray the hero, the villain or a mercenary. Join YMCA Youth Paintball for these highly interactive scenarios, as these are the most fun anyone from the age of 9 to 15 can be a part of here in Lincoln! The program has moving targets, realistic scenarios and encourages teamwork. There are only three weeks left; don't be left out in the cold! The program will resume in March as weather permits.

There are only a couple of days left for dodgeball; however, your child can still participate for only $5 per Saturday. Local third- to sixth-graders have been coming to the YMCA Activity Center on Saturdays to play dodgeball from noon to 1 p.m.

Your daughter can still join the YMCA cheerleading squad. Practice is on Saturdays, 2-2:55 p.m., at the YMCA Activity Center. The Lincoln Christmas Parade on Dec. 4 is the next scheduled community event. More cheer events are scheduled for the squad, including a performance at a LCHS Railer basketball game in January, and much more, so register your little cheerleader today!

Registration for the YMCA Girls Basketball League will run until Dec. 23, with the season beginning after the holidays. The Y is looking for teams from the surrounding area to participate in the fifth- and sixth-grade league. Come register your daughter so she may take part in the fun of this learning experience. Thanks to the folks at Logan County Bank and Graue Inc. for their generous sponsorship of this worthwhile program.

The YMCA will begin to open its gym on Thursday evenings, 7-8:30, for the Hoop It Up adult basketball program. The first session will be on Dec. 4. There is a small fee for this program, and YMCA members receive a 50 percent discount. New teams are created each week. So come out on Thursday nights for some fun and fitness.

For more information on Lincoln Area YMCA programs and events, contact the downtown office, 604 Broadway St., Suite 1; visit www.lincolnymca.org; or call 735-3915.

[Text from file received from Lincoln Area YMCA]