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Talk-Line: Andy McFarlane on fall YMCA activities · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

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  Speaker 1: We are quarter past the hour. This is Wednesday, It's
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: August sixth, the year is twenty twenty five, and it's
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  Speaker 1: time for another informational edition of Talkline here at WIKES
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  Speaker 1: and Radio. Good morning, I'm Steve Marco. Time for our
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  Speaker 1: monthly look at news and information from your Dixon Family YMCA.
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  Speaker 1: We get a monthly reach in to activities, happenings across
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  Speaker 1: the Dixon Why landscape, and lots more. With our chief
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  Speaker 1: executive officer of the Dixon Family, Why joins us live
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  Speaker 1: in studio once again for the report for August of
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. Our good friend Anny McFarlane is with
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  Speaker 1: us today here at wikes In. Good morning, sir, morning Steve.
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  Speaker 1: Nice to have you with us. Thanks for joining us.
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  Speaker 1: It's been a busy summer, busy summer. Last time we
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  Speaker 1: talked to Andy, we were just getting set for that
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  Speaker 1: fourth of July weekend.
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  Speaker 2: For the Reagan roun. Yeah yeah, wow, Yeah. It was
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  Speaker 2: an amazing, amazing run, amazing support from our volunteers, our staff,
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  Speaker 2: Katie with the kids just wanted Reagan run, did an
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  Speaker 2: awesome job and all the kids that were able to
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  Speaker 2: make it. I think we had out of the forty
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  Speaker 2: some odd kids that we had, I think we had
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  Speaker 2: thirty two actually run the race. So that was kind
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  Speaker 2: of neat and fun and just wonderful. And then obviously,
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  Speaker 2: you know, being a benefactor from the race, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the race does raise proceeds and give back to local
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  Speaker 2: charities and getting a great support check which pushed us.
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  Speaker 2: We are at we still have you know a little
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  Speaker 2: bit of ways to go, but you know it's inactive
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  Speaker 2: fundraising right now. But eighty percent of our goal, that's true,
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  Speaker 2: outperformed the last four years and our performance with strong kids,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, with all the grant money and all
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  Speaker 2: the government money and things like that, it was a
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  Speaker 2: little you know, we were flushed with that, and you
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  Speaker 2: know giving has changed a little bit. And then obviously
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  Speaker 2: there's a lot of need out there. But to be
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  Speaker 2: able to make that case and to be able to
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  Speaker 2: raise you know, close to seventy thousand dollars is phenomenal,
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  Speaker 2: it's great.
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  Speaker 1: So that's good news. And again with help from the
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  Speaker 1: Reagan Run and the support that the Dixon family, why
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  Speaker 1: of course has every fourth of July with the Reagan
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  Speaker 1: Run and help with the Reagan Run, and again with
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  Speaker 1: the assistance even on day at the Reagan Run. Andy
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  Speaker 1: has the report for us today here at w y
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  Speaker 1: axcent Also just yesterday busy at the facility in Dixon.
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  Speaker 1: You wanted to talk about that.
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  Speaker 2: Just yeah, we were out at the National Night Out again.
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  Speaker 2: The Dixon Police Department asked us to be a part
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  Speaker 2: of that. This is the second year we've participated, and
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  Speaker 2: looks like it'll be an annual event that will be
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  Speaker 2: at as well. But it was just great to come
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  Speaker 2: out with our team and you know, promote all the
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  Speaker 2: different activities, a lot of activities we'll talk about today
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  Speaker 2: and everything like that. Having fun games for the kids
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  Speaker 2: to come out and play. We had they can knock
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  Speaker 2: down and we had a blow up, you know, pin toss,
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  Speaker 2: ring toss, and you know, having some goodies to give
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  Speaker 2: away as well, and just you know, answering questions about
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  Speaker 2: why services and programs. It was great to see. It
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  Speaker 2: was also cool to see the helicopter that was really neat.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, from OSF. They supplied us with that bit
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  Speaker 1: of excitement at the facility. This was in Northeast Dixon
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  Speaker 1: during National Night Out activities and the Dixon Family why
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  Speaker 1: participated in that activity. As Andy mentioned, answering questions, handing
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  Speaker 1: out information and some goodies to those that participated in
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  Speaker 1: National Night Out courtesy of the Dixon Police Department. They
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  Speaker 1: organized that event for us last evening and the Dixon
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  Speaker 1: family why was a part of that. Now we move
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  Speaker 1: ahead into this month of August, and the first thing up, Andy,
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  Speaker 1: is youth soccer. You wanted to talk about youth soccer registration.
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  Speaker 1: That continues the pace, right.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, So registration's going on. We start at age four.
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  Speaker 2: They do have to be age four at the time
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  Speaker 2: of registration or the beginning of the season. Beginning of
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  Speaker 2: the season will begin September fifth, sixth. That weekend we
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  Speaker 2: are slated to usually do games typically Friday Saturdays, but
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  Speaker 2: a lot of it's going to depend on how many
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  Speaker 2: teams in each division and how we structure the game schedule.
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  Speaker 2: So if we can, it may be a combination of
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  Speaker 2: a Friday Saturday game schedule of for that. But we'll
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  Speaker 2: go you know, full full six weeks with that, so
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  Speaker 2: we'll go well into October for that. Ages again starting
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  Speaker 2: at age four and then all the way up through
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  Speaker 2: eighth grade. And one of the changes that we've made
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  Speaker 2: this fall trying to again look at how do we
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  Speaker 2: get some of those older kids involved. We we actually
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  Speaker 2: are following our other programs where we do pre K
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  Speaker 2: you know, K one, two, three, Okay, you know, yes, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh,
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  Speaker 2: and eighth, Yes, all together as as the grade levels.
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  Speaker 2: And so again that's one slight tweak that we're doing
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  Speaker 2: right now. And then obviously we're looking for volunteer coaches,
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  Speaker 2: volunteer helpers. With our concession stands, we obviously will have
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  Speaker 2: a lot of opportunities for Impact students, you know, those
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  Speaker 2: kids that do register for the Impact program, which is
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  Speaker 2: the earned tuition program out at the community college. We'll
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  Speaker 2: have some hours available there to help out throughout the
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  Speaker 2: entire season. Right. So, but great, great activity for the kids,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, get out there. It's a fall is
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  Speaker 2: usually our biggest season for Force the youth soccer programs.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've been touting this, you know, for a
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  Speaker 1: couple of reports with Andy, you know, touting youth soccer
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  Speaker 1: and reminding you that youth soccer registration is still underway.
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  Speaker 1: But again it's going to draw to a close because
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  Speaker 1: the season's going to structure.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so the season, hopefully well, practices will begin the
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  Speaker 2: end of this month in order for us to also
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  Speaker 2: assemble teams and then make sure we have enough volunteer coaches.
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  Speaker 2: We do have our initial registration closing the sixteenth of
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  Speaker 2: this month, so that's a week from this Saturday, So please,
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  Speaker 2: you know, get in. I know, you know, people are
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  Speaker 2: getting their last vestiges of you know, summer vacations and
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  Speaker 2: day trips and school starts next week, which is wow,
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  Speaker 2: where did the summer go?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's right. And Andy, before we leave this topic,
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  Speaker 1: you've been mentioning volunteers very important and you wanted to
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  Speaker 1: kind of you know, emphasize that, don't you.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, so many of the programs and services you know,
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  Speaker 2: whether you know it's volunteering for our fundraising events, volunteering
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  Speaker 2: for our special events, volunteering as a mentor volunteering as
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  Speaker 2: a coach. The backbone of our our Wye organization over
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  Speaker 2: the last one hundred and fifty plus years has always
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  Speaker 2: been those volunteers. Volunteer committee members, volunteer board members. These people,
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  Speaker 2: you know, step up above and beyond the call of
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  Speaker 2: duty and they give their time and talent to help
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  Speaker 2: us run our programs. In fact, as I always doing
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  Speaker 2: some historical looks. You know, in the early nineteen hundred,
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  Speaker 2: so all the way up until even the nineteen thirties,
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  Speaker 2: there was only one state paid staff person and that
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  Speaker 2: was the executive director. Everybody else, the lifeguards, the front
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  Speaker 2: desk workers, the you know, the mentors, they were all volunteers.
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  Speaker 2: They were not paid staff. So now you know, obviously
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  Speaker 2: it's it's such a challenge to find volunteers and to
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  Speaker 2: find people that you know, want to give up their
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  Speaker 2: time and talents. We're all busy, we get that. But
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  Speaker 2: you know, if we if we didn't have those volunteers, man,
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  Speaker 2: I'll tell you what, it would be a very big
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  Speaker 2: challenge to offer the program and services and our mission
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  Speaker 2: work that we do. So you know, again it's a
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  Speaker 2: pitch for obviously for our soccer teams and coming up
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  Speaker 2: and looking for soccer coaches, but there's so many opportunities
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  Speaker 2: that we can utilize volunteers at the Y and we
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  Speaker 2: would love to do that. Obviously, we've got some screening
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  Speaker 2: processes and you know, making sure background checks and things
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  Speaker 2: like that that we do with our volunteers and some
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  Speaker 2: initial training for that.
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  Speaker 1: So okay, right, well, and a good word you know,
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  Speaker 1: as Andy mentioned, you know, volunteers. He mentioned the backbone
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  Speaker 1: of the y MC. It really is, and you talked
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  Speaker 1: about that alluded to it. You know, with this youth
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  Speaker 1: soccer going on, a lot of volunteers participate in coaches
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  Speaker 1: you know, and officials things like that. They volunteer their time.
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  Speaker 1: This is not just this is not paid this this
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  Speaker 1: is a volunteer time that they you know, go up
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  Speaker 1: and above. You know.
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  Speaker 2: So last year we had two hundred and forty one volunteers.
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  Speaker 2: There you go, and that's that's amazing. It's great, that's amazing.
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  Speaker 2: And you know you figure what two hours a week, sure,
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  Speaker 2: six weeks, I mean that adds.
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  Speaker 1: Up, oh, absolutely absolutely, And it all contributes, It all
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  Speaker 1: contributes to the Y effort. Andy McFarlane is our chief
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  Speaker 1: executive officer of the Dixon Family. Wire report today on
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  Speaker 1: y activities for the month of August and beyond here
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  Speaker 1: at WIX, and we want to talk about the Love
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  Speaker 1: It Child Child Development Center because Andy, we are now
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  Speaker 1: moving out of obviously the summer, and you know, if
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  Speaker 1: all semester classes are going to be started, is this
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  Speaker 1: going to change the.
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  Speaker 2: So we do have a false school special going on
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  Speaker 2: right now. Check our Facebook page. We actually have a
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  Speaker 2: QR code for people to also give us the initial
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  Speaker 2: enrollment form. It's not an actual registration for the program,
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  Speaker 2: but it at least gets the process going so that
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  Speaker 2: we know where to to place everybody and looking at
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  Speaker 2: you know, availability, we still have some openings for our
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  Speaker 2: three to five year old rooms, a wait list for
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  Speaker 2: our toddled rooms at this point in time, and then
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  Speaker 2: also for our infant rooms. But as those kids start
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  Speaker 2: aging up and moving two other rooms, that does give
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  Speaker 2: us the opportunity to rotate in. But again we've got
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  Speaker 2: you know, great programs there. I think by the end
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  Speaker 2: of the month we're up to one hundred and ten
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  Speaker 2: kids we can take right now. What we can staff
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  Speaker 2: for at this point in time is one thirty four
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  Speaker 2: and so we've got a little bit of room for growth.
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  Speaker 2: But we also have a couple of classrooms that we
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  Speaker 2: are hoping to transition and get certified teachers that are
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  Speaker 2: in the process right now to open up more spaces
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  Speaker 2: as well as the demand rises, so again we've got
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  Speaker 2: some opportunity for growth, especially for that three to five
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  Speaker 2: year old age group.
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  Speaker 1: So it's a different phone number at the love A
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  Speaker 1: Childcare Center than it is at the Dixon Family y.
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  Speaker 1: So you need to all the Love It Childcare number
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  Speaker 1: if you want information about.
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  Speaker 2: Registered to eight eight eleven twenty four.
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  Speaker 1: And we have that here at w Iison. So if
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  Speaker 1: you need help, yeah, give us a reaching call and
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  Speaker 1: we'll get you in touch with the Dixon Family by
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  Speaker 1: But again that Love It Childcare Development Center in the
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  Speaker 1: Gateway project is, you know, operate a little bit separately.
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  Speaker 1: They got a separate phone number in order to handle
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  Speaker 1: the needs at the childcare center. So again two eight
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  Speaker 1: eight one one two four, that's the number at the
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  Speaker 1: Loved Child Development Center. Andy, with our latter portion of
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  Speaker 1: the talk line, a couple of minutes left. Some annual
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  Speaker 1: activities coming obviously, Labor Day is coming up. You're going
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  Speaker 1: to be closed on September.
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  Speaker 2: The year we'll be closed on the first September. So
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  Speaker 2: for the Labor Day again, give our staff and families
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  Speaker 2: chances to get together and again kind of get that
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  Speaker 2: last weekend in of summer fun so to speak. Sure
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  Speaker 2: the gymnasium and fitness studio will have the floors rey finished.
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  Speaker 2: That will be conducted Thursday the twenty first, and then
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  Speaker 2: all the way through. Tell the first and then that
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  Speaker 2: Saturday at the close of business, will shut down the
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  Speaker 2: pool on the twenty third, and we'll do the annual
• 11:09
  Speaker 2: maintenance cleaning of the hot tub, so on a hot
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  Speaker 2: tub maintenance repairs you know, light duty type shirs, and
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  Speaker 2: then get everything back up to snuff and so that'll
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  Speaker 2: be down until the first of September as well. We
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  Speaker 2: kind of pair that with the that long weekend, so
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  Speaker 2: again we can take advantage of doing as much as
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  Speaker 2: we can in that short time period. And then we also,
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: you know, we partner with our neighboring why over at
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  Speaker 2: the Sterling Rock Falls. Why so they usually do their
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: annual maintenance and shut down in May, usually that weekend
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  Speaker 2: of Memorial Day, and then we always do it, you know,
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  Speaker 2: Labor Day weekend. So that way your membership is good
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  Speaker 2: at both locations. So if you still want to get
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  Speaker 2: a swim in, or if you still need to get
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: in and want to shoot some hoops for that week
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  Speaker 2: and that we're temporarily down, you have that ability to
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  Speaker 2: go over there and be able to utilize those facilities.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely on the North Locust or YMCAA should out near
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  Speaker 1: the North Locust area of Sterling and it's a great
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  Speaker 1: cooperation between the YMC is that you get an opportunity.
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  Speaker 1: If you got that membership there, you go, as Andy
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  Speaker 1: mentioned use that membership because it's not just you know,
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  Speaker 1: obviously I'd love to see at the Dixon Family YMC
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  Speaker 1: as much as possible, but if you are out of
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  Speaker 1: the area or if there's closures like this, then take
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  Speaker 1: advantage of other Y facilities because you can use it absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: Membership at the other Y facilities just as good as
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  Speaker 1: you can at the Dixon Family Y MCA. Website address
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  Speaker 1: for the Dixon Family Y Information dixonymca dot org. Facebook
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  Speaker 1: is always updated. It's updated practically every day. Take it
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: from me. I look at it every day and it's
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: practically updated every day with all kinds of information at
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  Speaker 1: the Facebook area the Dixon Family. Why phone number at
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  Speaker 1: the Dixon Family Y.
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  Speaker 2: Two eight eight nine six two two.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the Dixon Y number two eight eight YMCA.
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  Speaker 1: That's two eight eight nine six two two. But again
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  Speaker 1: remember the Child Development Center number is two eight eight
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  Speaker 1: eleven twenty four. If you need help in that area,
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  Speaker 1: call that number and again get assistants in again registering
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  Speaker 1: your kids for the upcoming sessions of classes at the
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  Speaker 1: Child Development Center in the Gateway Project. Pleasure having you
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  Speaker 1: on board, sir. Always a pleasure having Andy McFarlane on board.
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  Speaker 1: Lots of information in a very short period of time.
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  Speaker 1: We appreciate you stopping by and telling us all about
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  Speaker 1: it today. Thank you. Andy McFarlane is our chief executive
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  Speaker 1: officer of the Dixon Family. Why our guest on the
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  Speaker 1: talk line today here at wy accent Time to go
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: to News First, next to Day thirty with Tim Lee.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: Good morning,