Finding free fitness

YMCA offers complimentary memberships to the unemployed

Jan HOgan/ViewMichael Hazim, who lives in The Lakes area, watches his daughter Sydnie, 11, as she works out at the Durango Hills YMCA, Oct. 8. The family received a free six-month membership from the YMCA as part of the Back on Track program. Gary Thompson/ViewSummerlin-area resident Brenda Feliciano works out at the Durango Hills YMCA, 3521 N. Durango Drive, Oct. 19 as part of a new YMCA of Southern Nevada program called Back on Track, which offers free six-month memberships to unemployed people and their immediate families. Feliciano was a vice president for Bank of Nevada before she lost her job three months ago. Advertisement

When Michael Hazim was laid off from work three months ago, the family cut back on unnecessary expenses. One of them was his gym membership. It was tough for the workout enthusiast, but he couldn't justify the cost.

"Thirty bucks a month, it adds up," he said.

But Hazim, who resides in The Lakes area, now can work out all he wants -- for free.

The YMCA of Southern Nevada unveiled a new program called Back on Track on Oct. 7, which provides free memberships for those left jobless by the recession.

Even better, the offer extends to Hazim's three children, Gabby, 15, Michael, 12, and Sydnie, 11, as well as his wife, Nancy.

Now that they're with Back on Track, Sydnie said she wants to take dance classes. Michael was eyeing the swimming pool. Hazim said he looked forward to spending time with his family at the YMCA, showing them the equipment and how to use it.

"Working out, it keeps you healthy," he said. "I used to work 14-hour days and still go to the gym afterward, even if I got off at midnight. When I work out, I feel so much more motivated."

"Everybody says there must be a catch," YMCA of Southern Nevada President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Lubbe said of the program. "Well, there isn't one."

The savings for a family, including six months' dues and a signing fee, can equal $396.

In the first two days of the program being announced, 118 people signed up.

Proof from the unemployment office is all that's needed. The membership is good for six months, at which point it will be re-evaluated to see if it should continue.

"We plan to be flexible, but my crystal ball tells me it's going to be here for a while," Lubbe said.

Back on Track comes at a time when the YMCA is seeing a drop in membership, about a 20 percent drop from 2008 to 2009, Lubbe said. Still, it decided to offer free memberships as a community benefit.

The city of Las Vegas Durango Hills Community Center, 3521 N. Durango Drive, operated by the YMCA, currently has approximately 2,500 memberships, 1,900 of them being family memberships. There also are roughly 400 senior memberships, 150 individual adult memberships and 60 student ones.

Citywide, the YMCA has 12,428 members. This number represents individual members, not "member units," as there can be several individuals in one member unit. The number of members is not evenly distributed among the three YMCA locations, which include, along with Durango Hills, the Bill and Lillie Heinrich YMCA at 4141 Meadows Lane and the Centennial Hills YMCA at 6601 N. Buffalo Drive.

The Back on Track program has no ceiling cap on how many will be accepted. Anyone who can prove they're out of work qualifies.

"We have them define 'family' on the honor system," Lubbe said. "Now, there might come a point where we say, 'I notice you have 47 members in your immediate family.' "

Vince Mauer, who lives north of Summerlin with his wife, Diane, signed up. He was the assistant superintendent of construction at Fountainbleu. He's been unemployed since May 1, though he has picked up a couple carpentry jobs.

Mauer said that he had been debating about getting back into working out, especially because hanging around the house makes him antsy.

"Then I saw this on the news, and I thought, 'That's my sign, I'd better go,' " he said.

So he joined the YMCA and plans to work on his cardio and lift weights. His wife wants to use the workout machines, he said.

Back on Track members can take advantage of any of the valley's three YMCA facilities. For Durango Hills, call 240-9622; for Bill and Lillie Heinrich, call 877-9622 and for Centennial Hills, call 478-9622.

The Bill and Lillie Heinrich YMCA has an indoor pool and a rock climbing wall.

The YMCA also offers a discount program to those whose income has dropped. So far in 2009, 5,589 individuals have taken advantage of that program, Lubbe said.

Contact Summerlin View and South Summerlin View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.

find out more

For more information about the YMCA of Southern Nevada and the Back on Track program, visit www.lasvegasymca.org.