SIDNEY — Ed Thomas and Mark Kaufman discussed the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA during their recent presentation to the Sidney Rotary Club.

Kaufman talked about the history of the YMCA, which received its charter in 1968 and first opened in what is now the Senior Center in Sidney. In 1972, the current facility opened.

Some of the programs the two talked about were the Splash program, the diabetes-prevention program and the newly created Parkinson exercise program.

The Splash program is a summer program that teaches kids water safety and basic swimming skills. This program was started in the early 1980s and more than 10,000 kids have participated in it. The diabetes-prevention program is a way to help people reduce their risk for diabetes and gain tools for healthy living. The diabetes program has shown that when someone adopts a healthy eating style and increases physical activities, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is reduced. The Parkinson exercise program was started in 2017 and is a fitness program that is adapted to individuals with all levels of the disease. These exercise classes are geared specifically to counteract the movement challenges experienced by people with Parkinson.

This year the YMCA celebrates its 50-year anniversary with special events.

On April 21, in conjunction with Healthy Kids Day and the Shelby County Health Fair, there will be a 50th birthday party. There will be many events going on at the YMCA for the entire family to do.

On July 21 will be the Y-Fest, the biggest party and celebration the YMCA has ever done. There will be live music, food and activities throughout the day.