Sweet, sweet dreams!

Keeping Babies Safe (KBS) has just donated 12 brand new cribs to the Millicent Fenwick Day Care Center at the Y! These cribs meet the new current standards mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and are being donated in the wake of the October 3^rd Somerset Hills YMCA and Keeping Babies Safe joint 5K that raised approximately $48,000. 

Joyce Davis, President KBS, lost her own son, Garret, when he was four months old due to an unsafe sleeping condition; her mission is to educate as many parents as possible about safe sleeping conditions and to donate safe cribs to those in need.  KBS is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides education, assistance and leadership in keeping babies safe from preventable injuries associated with unsafe cribs and sleep environments.

Said Joyce, “This is a great first step with the Somerset Hills YMCA and plans are now underfoot to reach out to Ys nationwide. The Y leads the nation in providing quality daycare and we want to assist them with ensuring all cribs in their daycare centers conform to the latest safety standards.”

KBS is a reliable, free information resource for parents that provides all the necessary crib and sleep safety information, product recall information and safety tips so parents can stay informed and be vigilant about keeping their children safe.  Additionally, KBS educates health care personnel and donates safe cribs through an expanding network of hospitals, clinics and other health and human service organizations that distribute the donated safe cribs nationwide through their internal vetting programs.

Watchung native starts Flag Football League at Army base in Basrah, Iraq, to raise morale and enjoy a taste of home.

On an isolated Command Operating Base (COB), on the outskirts of Basrah, Iraq, American soldiers are now enjoying a little piece of home and friendly competition during their down time, thanks to the efforts of a few of their own and the support of the Somerset Hills YMCA, Flagmag.com and teams from the National Football League (NFL).

In Iraq since March 2010, First Lieutenant Aaron Raymar was looking for something to improve the morale of the soldiers serving on his base and to give everyone something to which to look forward. Raymar came up with the idea of creating a Flag Football League. With football season in full swing in the United States, the soldiers have football on their minds, rooting for their home teams and keeping dibs on their favorite players when they return to base each night. Now, they are benefitting both physically and mentally from participating in a recreational athletic competition themselves.

On November 11, 2010, the first game of the COB Basrah Flag Football League was played, following the formation of sixteen teams and the arrangement of a league schedule that will take the players through early 2011. Thanks to the generosity of individual contributors, Flagmag.com, and teams from the NFL, equipment for each of the teams was secured and sent to the COB in Basrah.  This exciting initiative will exist for a long time to come with the USO already poised to take what Raymar has created and transport it to the next base, when the Basrah base closes, in order to support other soldiers in their deployment. 

"I cannot even begin to thank the Somerset Hills YMCA and the NFL teams participating in this endeavor for all the support you are giving to me and the soldiers with whom I serve”, said Raymar. “We spend hours upon hours at our duties, trying to revive this country and make it a better place not only now but for the future. Now, with your help and in a few weeks of dedicated effort, you have allowed us to create something that will bring people together, and make life better for all the soldiers stationed on this base."

Raymar, a native of Watchung, NJ, is a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and is stationed out of Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colorado. A past member of the Somerset Hills YMCA and the Y’s National Swim Team, he was Army ROTC at Lehigh University, where he graduated with a double BS degree from the Business School in Marketing and Finance. Upon graduating from Lehigh in spring 2008, he received his Commission as a Second Lieutenant and rose to the ranks of First Lieutenant 18 months later. 

"Creating this flag football league means more than just allowing people to come together to play sports and enjoy themselves for part of the day.  It means that people will have something to look forward to everyday for the rest of their deployment; it means for that brief period of time they can take their minds off what happens in downtown Basrah and be reminded that people care about them and are waiting for them to come home safely,” said Raymar. “The very values and morals that are taught by the YMCA are almost identical to the Army values that I live by today. People often quote Vince Lombardi in saying, “leaders are not born, they are made,” and I can tell you that the YMCA molded me into the leader I am right now and will continue to be in the future."

The Somerset Hills YMCA is accepting contributions in support of the COB Basrah Flag Football League. All monetary donations are needed and appreciated to ensure that this exciting endeavor can grow and thrive. To make a contribution, please visit www.somersethillsymca.org, click on the GIVE button and note FFL donation in the ‘Comments’ field. Contributions may also be mailed to Alison Buxton, V. P. of Development, Somerset Hills YMCA,

140 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

.  Please note FFL donation in the note portion of the check. For more information, please visit www.somersethillsymca.org to read the full story. 

Medevac Hospital Lands in on the Somerset Hills YMCA

As the grand finale to “Transportation Week” at the Millicent Fenwick Day Care Center at the Somerset Hills YMCA, Atlantic Health’s MEDEVAC helicopter ‘Air One’ landed in the backyard of the Y, much to the delight and awe of onlookers, young and old. Children were able to approach the helicopter after landing and to each ask a question. Questions ranged from how fast they could fly to whether the pilot slept in the helicopter at night! The Basking Ridge Fire Company provided safety coverage at the event.

From left: Paul Sepanski, Jr, Flight R.N.; Sally Roser, Associate Director of Child Care at the Millicent Day Care Center, Somerset Hills YMCA; Dr. Dan Mooney, Morristown Memorial Hospital and Sean Lynch, Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic. Not pictured, Bob Jones, MEDEVAC helicopter Pilot.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Somerset Hills YMCA holds first Strong Dogs Day

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

On Saturday, Sept. 25, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Y is holding ‘Strong Dogs Day’ in its own backyard. All two- and four-legged friends are welcome. The day will kick off with a blessing of the hounds, followed by a dog walkathon around a local neighborhood with stations such as Treat Street, Water Works and Scooper Way set up to support the participants in this all-sidewalk, one mile walk. There will be games, contests and giveaways as well as lectures, obedience training, speakers and much more. Many local vendors, kennels, and groomers will also attend. All proceeds will benefit Strong Kids, the Y’s Financial Assistance Campaign.

Cherrybrook Premium Pet Supplies has signed on as presenting ‘Top Dog’ sponsor of Strong Dogs Day. Cherrybrook has two retail stores in Bedminster and Broadway NJ. TD Bank has signed on as the Puppy Love Sponsor; TD Bank has 1,100 locations nationwide. Other sponsors include Camp BowWow, who signed up as the Wagging Tail sponsor; Autosport Honda as the Cold Wet Nose sponsor, and PNC Bank, The Stable Ltd. and Tarheel Total Pet Care as Belly Scratch sponsors. Other opportunities are still available at most levels.

“The concept behind the event is to encourage the community to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle,” said Peter Barry, Director of Competitive Swimming at the Y and Strong Dogs coordinator. “Recently, there have been a number of reports that conclude that owning and walking a dog can lead to a healthier lifestyle. It’s along the lines of ‘Show me a healthy dog and I’ll show you a healthy family.’ When you consider the fact that more than 1,800 residents of Bernards Township alone have licensed dogs, we are expecting a terrific turnout that will benefit pet owners and our Strong Kids Financial Assistance Campaign. There will be plenty of promotions, dog ownership tips and giveaways for all attendees.”

For more information about Strong Dogs Day and opportunities to sponsor or be a vendor at the event, and to download the walkathon form, please visit www.somersethillsymca.org or contact Peter at pbarry@somersethillsymca.org or (908) 630-3531.

The Somerset Hills YMCA is a charitable community service organization, rooted in Christian values and dedicated to helping all people grow in spirit, mind and body. We are guided by our core principles of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

For more information, please visit www.somersethillsymca.org or call (908) 766-7898.