Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center

09/03/2026

🦁💛 THANKFUL THURSDAY! 💛🦁

Kids ROAR wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our community! Today, we’re giving a HUGE THANK YOU to the sponsors and community partners who help make this muddy adventure possible! 🏃‍♀️💦🧗‍♂️

🥇 GOLD SPONSOR:
✨ Kalsec

🥉 BRONZE SPONSORS:
💪 ELITE Companies
💪 KCCU

🍌🥛 IN-KIND SPONSORS:
🛒 Harding’s Market in Galesburg
🛒 Trader Joe’s
Keeping our adventurers fueled with milk + bananas because even little warriors need snacks! 🍌💪

🚒 A BIG THANK YOU TO:
Ross-Augusta Fire Department ❤️
Thank you for showing up for our community and helping keep the ROAR going strong!

Your generosity, partnership, and support help us create an unforgettable experience for our young adventurers. We are SO grateful for each of you! 🦁❤️

Thank you for helping our kids RUN, CLIMB, SPLASH, CRAWL & GET MUDDY! 🌊💪🪵

09/01/2026

It takes a village to make the ROAR happen! 🦁🙌

Kids ROAR is almost here, and we need awesome volunteers to help make race day happen! 💪💦

Come cheer, encourage, guide, and maybe get a little muddy along the way! 😜

📅 September 13
🦁 Kids ROAR
🙌 Volunteers needed!

Sign up here: https://buff.ly/pPHwclG

Volunteer. Cheer. Get muddy. ROAR! 🦁💦

08/31/2026

And just like that… summer camp is a wrap! 🥹🌲☀️

From colorful adventures and lake days to campfires, silly songs, new friendships, big laughs, and all the little moments in between — what a summer it has been! 💚

To our campers: thank you for bringing your energy, curiosity, and smiles.
To our families: thank you for trusting us with your kiddos and being part of our camp community.
And to our incredible staff: THANK YOU for making the magic happen every single day. 🫶✨

We served over 3.000 kids in our Day, Overnight and Teen Leadership Programs!! We may be saying goodbye to summer, but the memories we made will stay with us long after the cabins are quiet. 🌅

Until next summer, camp family… keep adventuring, keep laughing, and keep the camp spirit alive! 💚🌲

08/26/2026

🔥 One month to go! 🔥

Backyard Bash at the Barn is coming up on September 26, and we’re getting excited for a night of camp, grown-up style!

Gather your friends and join us for an evening of:
🍴 Great food
🎶 Live entertainment
🔥 Campfires & s’mores
🍻 Two drink tickets
🌲 And new this year—a zipline ticket for every attendee!

Whether you’re a longtime part of the Sherman Lake YMCA community or have never experienced camp before, we’d love to have you join us.

🎟️ Tickets are just $25 and include dinner, two drink tickets, and a zipline ticket.

Learn more and get your tickets at the link below.

Backyard Bash at the Barn
📅 Saturday, September 26
⏰ 6–9 PM
🔞 Ages 21+

Grab some friends and come spend an evening with us around the campfire!

Join us at Sherman Lake YMCA as we re-kindle the spirit of community with our Backyard Bash at the Barn!

08/20/2026

A reminder to all members that our pool will be closed next week, August 24-28, for routine maintenance. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!

08/17/2026

What a special evening celebrating some truly incredible members of our Sherman Lake YMCA family! 💙

Our Annual Brick Ceremony brought staff and families together to honor those who have reached an amazing five-year milestone at Sherman Lake.

Congratulations to our 5-Year Brick recipients! 🎉 Your dedication, heart, and commitment have helped make Sherman Lake the special place it is today.

Here’s to many more years of memories, laughter, and adventures together! 🧱💙

08/12/2026

Get ready to GET MUDDY! 💦🪵🤸‍♀️

Kids ROAR is back! 🦁🔥 With mud pits, water, monkey bars, obstacles, and plenty of ROAR-some fun, this is one adventure your kiddo won’t want to miss!

👟 Ages 5–14
🏃‍♀️ 2 distances to choose from
🦁 Sunday, September 13
💥 Parents are welcome to join the fun!

Who’s ready to ROAR?! 🦁💪

Register here: https://buff.ly/Gk5agmC

08/08/2026

Words will never be adequate to explain how special our staff are or express enough gratitude for everything they do. They are magic. They change lives. They are role models. They are authentic and genuine. Giving their all, no matter the challenge that comes. Thousands of lives are forever changed because of these amazing, selfless humans.

🌟Big congratulations to our HCRR Spirit Staff of Summer award winners; Brady, Santi, and Juancho! Voted by the staff, these three embody our core values of Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibility, have gone above and beyond for the campers and other staff, and created extraordinary experiences for all.

Thank you to all of our staff for an incredible summer. Complete and total rock stars, each and every one of you. 💙♥️💛💚

08/05/2026

Color week at camp! We take it seriously!

08/04/2026

Make a difference this fall! As a part of our award-winning Integrated Education School Camping Program (IE), you’ll help students grow through unforgettable camp experiences that connect school, life, and our four core values of Honesty, Caring, Respect, and Responsibility! 💙❤️💛💚

This is a seasonal, full-time position with half week positions available (M-W, W-F). Furnished housing and meals are included, as well as a FREE Y membership and up to $500 in referral bonuses!

Apply now on our website (find the Work With Us tab under Get Involved) or via this link: https://www.shermanlakeymca.org/integrated-education-staff-new-applicant

Questions?
Contact Nicole, our Assistant Director of IE at [email protected]
or Danielle, our IE Program Director at [email protected]