YMCA of Big Spring announcing community calendar of events beginning this month

As the holiday season approaches and the capacity for businesses has been expanded to 75%, the YMCA of Big Spring is focusing on a calendar of events for the remainder of the year and the beginning of the new year.

“We are taking advantage of the outdoor space that we have and cooler temperatures that are approaching as an opportunity to social distance, support our community and provide things for families and our youth to take part in,” Dathan Jones, YMCA of Big Spring Director, said.

The month of October is shaping up to offer several events for families, from a Zombie Run on Oct. 16, Junior High/High School Dance on Oct. 24, and a Fall Festival on Oct. 31 to be held outside.

“Since the pandemic hit, the activities across the board in the community have become non-existent, but especially for the youth; the pandemic is hard to deal with in general, but for our youth, not having an outlet can be overwhelming,” Jones said. “We want to offer events that the family can take part in together, allow the kids to have some fun, and of course all while ensuring everyone stays safe and can practice social distancing and proper hand hygiene.”

Jones continued, “We are having to get a little creative when it comes to hosting events, but so is everyone else and that’s okay. We want to make sure we are keeping everyone safe while we continue to try and meet the needs in the community.”

In addition to Halloween activities, the YMCA is looking at a few community events such as a block party promoting local vendors and businesses. Starting in November, a quarterly trade show event is being planned to allow for food trucks, local boutiques, small business owners and community members to get out and set up a booth. In addition, the YMCA is looking to highlight the different programs and activities offered at the local facility. Expo nights which will be focused around different programs such as Yoga, the aquatic classes, cycling, and other activities offered, will be offered to let the community know about classes, memberships and the benefits to the community offered through the YMCA.

“Just as many of our local businesses and non-profits have taken a hit since the pandemic began, the YMCA is no different. We are a non-profit and the majority of our funds are raised through donations and fundraising; with so many events being cancelled and capacity being limited, our fundraising has taken a hit. It seems that while our income has gone down, we are having more expenses because we want to ensure that we are keeping our