YMCA Gives Pajaro Families a Healthy Work out at the New Pajaro Park
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PA JA R O V A L L E Y COMMUNITY HEALTH TRUST’S HHealthealth WWatchatch Promoting a Healthy Future Fomentando Buena Salud FALL/WINTER 2014 YMCA gives Pajaro Families a healthy work out at the new Pajaro Park The Health Trust is pleased to provide feature stories about the Granite Construction, who donated the land; and the Mon- vital nonprofit programs and partnerships we help to support in terey County Redevelopment Agency, who supplied the con- the Pajaro Valley. These stories and the people who tell them struction funds. Graniterock served as the general contractor inspire us with their dedication to improving the quality of life for the project and Pajaro Sunny Mesa Community Services and health for all the residents of our community. District helped bring together community members, including By Kafi Hauser, Director, Marketing & Communications, the local nonprofit, Together in Pajaro (TIP), to solicit ideas Central Coast YMCA for the park’s design and use. Once the park was built, Monterey County turned it over very Sunday in the small town of Pajaro, Stephany Soto to Pajaro Sunny Mesa as the successor agency to manage the takes on the task of organizing over 100 kids, ranging property. Representatives Ein age from 3 to 13 into soccer games at the new ‘Pajaro of Pajaro Sunny Mesa Park’ on 24 San Juan Road. “We had over 110 children from and TIP began discussing Pajaro and Watsonville sign up for our soccer leagues in the how to maximize this new spring and summer and we expect an even larger group this resource, believing that fall,” said Soto, Community Program Director at the Wat- a supervised park with sonville YMCA Family Center. Soccer, and the many other organized activities would programs offered by the Y at Pajaro Park are keeping youth keep it safe and reduce active, healthy and involved in constructive activities. vandalism. It would also Over 80% of the population of Pajaro is under the age keep families more active of 45 with more than two-thirds of the households consist- for optimum health and ing of children under the age of 18. It is a relatively young well-being. To fulfill this population with historically few services for recreation and goal, they turned to the health and wellness programs. Watsonville YMCA as the According to the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust ideal partner. report, “A Glimpse of Reality.” 64 percent of Pajaro Valley As the program adults are overweight or obese while 53 percent of Pajaro manager for Pajaro Park, th 5 graders are at risk from a health perspective due to being the Watsonville YMCA overweight. With few recreational services available, Pajaro schedules all activities, families have always struggled to find healthy activities for including Y programs themselves and their children. As a result, local leaders were and programs offered in desperate need of a clean and safe gathering place for by other community adults and children. partners. They provide The new Pajaro Park was built over the past five years fitness classes such as with the help of multiple partners beginning with SSA Zumba and ‘Walk-In-The-Park’ as well as sports such as soccer Landscape Architects, who first proposed building a park in and basketball for kids and adults. Teen Fitness has been a big Pajaro to representatives of Monterey County government; hit, as well as a Kids Fit class. Many of the area’s philanthropic funders, including the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Com- munity Foundation of Monterey County, United Way of Santa Cruz County, Driscolls and the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust, have supplied grants to help support the pro- grams offered at the park. In addition to the classes and sports programs, the YMCA provided a summer day camp for Pajaro youth. With over 40 children attending daily, the summer camp wrapped up on August 15 and was an opportunity for local children to partici- pate in field trips to educational sites and for some, go swim- ming at the Watsonville YMCA for the first time. Today, 25 local women come to the park three times a week to participate in Zumba classes, guided by a Watsonville YMCA Instructor. The energy is contagious as the Latin beats filter out to the soccer field where a group of locals play a game of pick-up soccer. One of the Zumba participants, Ana, is getting warmed up. “ It’s rare that we ever have anything nice for our commu- nity and it helps that I can get fit while my daughter is on the playground. We are very grateful for the Park and the YMCA.” The Watsonville Family YMCA is currently accepting regis- trations for fall youth soccer which starts on September 6 and costs only $20 for Pajaro residents. Please contact Stephany Soto at 831.728.9622 for more information regarding activities at the Pajaro Park. Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust Donors THE HEALTH TRUST GRATEFULLY RECOGNIZES GIFTS RECEIVED FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2013, THROUGH AUGUST 31, 2014. GIFTS TO THE HEALTH TRUST ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULL EXTENT ALLOWED UNDER IRS REGULATIONS. BOARD & STAFF GIFTS Rudy & Margaret Pedulla Dr. John Happee Veronica Camberos Dr. Madhu Raghavan Christopher Lynn Judy Carey Rotary Club of Watsonville John Kane Sr. Devon Caroselli Murry J. Schekman John Kane III Javier Carrillo Mark & Laurie Scurich Al LaGrange Cathleen Chandler-Eckhardt Davida Seliger Cheryl Daughenbaugh Trina Coffman-Gomez The Richard & Mary Solari Daniel Lester Caroline C. Eiskamp Charitable Trust Gene and Mary DiCicco Gina M. Gallucci Robert Stephens Kathleen King Dr. Stanley Hajduk Sam & Karen Sugidono Happy Lynn Ronald E. Jones Arne & Pauline Thirup Christopher Lynn Doug Keegan Shirley Thompson Thelma Curtiss McCandless Kathleen A. King Mel & Debbie Ukestad Edward & Jean Kelly Dr. Gerald Kondo Donna Valdez Bill Locke-Paddon Teresa Martinez Volunteer Center Of Santa Cruz Kathleen A. King Rick Philpott Terri Blanchette Elsa Mendoza Jimenez County Mel & Debbie Ukestad Billie Sorensen Dawn Bowie David Mesa Jo Ann Webb Tasos Petroutsas Mary Boyd Suzanne Mine-Eguchi Marianne Webb Gene and Mary DiCicco RATHER EVENT Denise Branges-Brokamp Richard Otto Alice M. Weigel Sandy Stevenson Gene & Mary DiCicco Janet E. Bricken Martha Quintana Julia B. Wilson Helen Ukestad Edward & Darlene Din Linda Brodman Raquel Ramirez Ruiz Thomas Woessner Jiro Sugidono Hutchinson & Bloodgood LLP Susan Cabral Steve Schuray James R. Wylie Sam I. Sugidono The Foot Doctors of Santa Cruz Agustina Castellanos Henry Wong County - A Podiatry Group Polly Sirles DHC GRANTS Erika Castillo Jacqueline Thompson Frances Goon Watsonville Community Hospital Community Foundation of Santa Rick Cervantes Debbie Ukestad Rotary Club of Watsonville Cruz County IN HONOR OF Aurora Cervantes Dr. Michele Violich County of Santa Cruz-Health John Eiskamp RATHER ENDOWMENT Lydia Chacon-Barba COMMUNITY FRIENDS Services Agency Jennifer E. Gavin Taylor’s Office City Thomas Comendant Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Mel & Debbie Ukestad Chuck & Nancy Barr Robin Conway OF THE DHC Marcela Cortado Rocky Arola Inc. Gina M. Gallucci Dr. Janet Bell Grace Cotroneo Mahmud Assar Monterey Peninsula Foundation Dr. Stanley Hajduk Donald & Diane Cooley Barbara Crouch Barbara J. Banks Watsonville Womans Club Dr. Miguel Vasquez Gonzalo Coronado Cheryl Daughenbaugh Susan Becker Foundation Dr. Madhu Raghavan Dr. Albert & Rosemary Crevello Katherine Dekker Michael & Vivian Brown Henry Bull Foundation Sharon Culbertson PHYSICIAN FRIENDS Eric Dellenbach Daniel Carrillo Mary S. Eves GIFTS FOR HEALTHCARE OF THE DHC Kathleen DeWitt Geneva M. Cecil Rocky & Judy Franich Anonymous Dr. Robin Albright Marla Dickinson Cathleen Chandler-Eckhardt Dr. David & June Godley Susan Becker Dr. Christen Allaman Sarah Drobshoff William J. Codiga Herman Goon Michael and Vivian Brown Dr. Stephen Aron Leslie Dwyer Gretchen M. Coffey Sharon Gray Daniel Carrillo Dr. Janet Bell Audra Earle Elena Cohen Nancy Hansen Cathleen Chandler-Eckhardt Dr. Joseph Bistrain Leonard English Michael & Marlene Corder Steve Henderson Gretchen M. Coffey Dr. Andrew Calciano Audrey L. Faber Alison Cromer Brad Hubbard Elena Cohen Dr. Thomas Deetz David Fallan Janet Curtis Marilyn Hyde Daryl Dichek Dr. Ronald Fisher Lucia Fernandez Daryl Dichek Ramona Ingersoll Caroline C. Eiskamp Dr. Donald Foster Susan Ferraro Lawrence Dick Kathleen A. King & Steve Ponzio Ronald E. & Bambi Jones Dr. Nancy Greenstreet Beatrice Finney DJ Smerph Tribute Event Ethlyn Miller Deutron Kebebew Dr. Tim Griffin Sandra A. Flanagan Caroline C. Eiskamp Luann Niebling Robert Kennedy Dr. Stanley Hajduk Laura Friend Dr. Ronald Fisher Dr. Ralph O. Ortiz Michael Mellon Dr. Kevin Hasenauer Gina M. Gallucci Dr. Joe Gallagher Joseph W. Parker Patti Jo Palmer Dr. Laura Hofmeister Caroline Garcia-Haro Frances Goon Rudy & Margaret Pedulla Dr. Thomas Hyland Yoko Gatineau Lois Gordon IN MEMORY OF Donna Ramos Dr. Jan Jurnecka Jennifer E. Gavin Dr. Marc L. Grossman Linda Gandrup Arietta Betty Rather Dr. John Kiely Jeri Gilbert Steve Henderson Donald & Diane Cooley William Resetar Dr. Steven E. Lee Cruz R. Gill Matthew Insley Frances Borrego Diane M. Robey Dr. Larry C. Levin Richard L. Grounds Gary Johnson Mel & Debbie Ukestad Barbara Shingai Dr. Douglas Liddicoat Rosa Guerrero Ronald E. Jones Ivan Clewett Billie Sorensen Dr. Robert D. Ley Susan Halla Kevin & Camille Jordan Mel & Debbie Ukestad Dr. David & Mary South Dr. Charles Manske Rondi Hansen Joseph Jurnecka Helen Ukestad Betty Sutherland Dr. Andrew Moreland Joann Hargis Deutron Kebebew Betty DeRose Dr. Myrna Medina RDC GRANTS Helen Hayes Robert Kennedy Mel & Debbie Ukestad Dr. Andrew Moreland Community Bridges Catherine Hobley Todd Kinion Joe Espejo Dr. Paula S. Quinn Novo Nordisk, Inc. Denise Hurley George Lerek Linda Espejo Dr. Courtney Ray Luzy M. Ibarra Amy Macdonald Herman Goon RDC SPONSORS Dr. Marylou G. Romo-Gritzewsky Isabel A. Jacinto Genevieve Marnach Jerry Chin Dignity Health Dr. Lorena Russo Christina Job Dr. & Mrs. David McNutt Frances Goon Satellite Dialysis Center Dr. Stuart M.