YMCA Hosting Spinathon in Central MA to Benefit LIVESTRONG Program

Saturday, April 05, 2014

GoLocalWorcester News Team

The “Mission in Motion Celebrity Spinathon” will be held at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts today, Saturday April 4th, from 9 am to noon. The event is open to the public and all funds raised at the event will benefit the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program, which is offered “for free” to cancer survivors, their families, and those dealing with the disease.
Media personalities including GoLocalWorcester.com’s Ben Mandeville, Hank Stolz of WCRN’s Morning News, and Gregory Byrnes of the WSRS Morning Show, as well as many city officials will be participating in the event to help bring awareness and funding to the LIVESTRONG program at the YMCA.
“It’s a great honor to offer this program to those who have been touched by cancer and events such as the Spinathon are important to keep this program thriving,” said Kathryn Zingg Hunter, President and CEO of the YMCA of Central Massachusetts. “With the support of our sponsors and community, we can truly change the face of post-treatment recovery.”
The YMCA of Central Massachusetts is one of 120 YMCAs in the United States that hosts LIVESTRONG. The program helps adult cancer survivors reclaim their health following a cancer diagnosis through a series of small-group physical activities and well-being initiatives which are offered for free to members of the community so that they can lead an improved quality of live. Each session runs 12 weeks and includes two 75 minute classes per week.
“We are happy to see all of our media partners and city officials rally together and compete to bring awareness while raising funds for this wonderful event,” said Sharon Henderson, the Director of Marketing at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts.
The LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program - which offers a platform to positively impact the health and well-being of cancer survivors and their families - has seen success in the area, expanding from the Greendale Family Branch in early 2012 to the Boroughs Family Branch, which just completed its first inaugural session. Plans to bring the program to the Montachusett Community Branch by fall and the Central Branch in early in 2014 are in place, which will incorporate session options through all four branches.