VENTURA, CA - On September 6th 2008, from 2:00 – 5:00 pm, the Ventura Family YMCA will host its 2nd Annual Back to School Backyard Bash to promote a safe and healthy 2008-2009 school year.

School may be back in session but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. The Backyard Bash will feature activities for the whole family including jolly jumps, games, aquatics and sports activities, FREE food, music, special educational guests and a healthy recipe contest.

The Back to School Backyard Bash will also feature an array of special guests like Sandy Curwood, Nutritional Director for the Ventura Unified School District; Mike and Traci Lamm, owners of Channel Islands Kayak, who will provide a kayak demonstration in the YMCA pool and educate children on water safety; Game Crazy, a local video game distributor who will educate children and parents on the rating system and provide information on how video games can be a great source of exercise; Rabobank will be educating parents on the importance of saving for college and providing information to establish the right type of savings account for their family; Valerie Zeko owner of VenturaParent.com will provide information about their online guide to family resources and activities in Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai and Camarillo. Representatives from the Ventura Family YMCA will also be available to discuss the YMCA’s No Join Fee for all new members as well as scholarship options for individuals and families in the area. Plus, the Ventura Police and Fire Department will make a special appearance to educate children on back to school safety.

The event will also feature a “Healthy Recipe Contest” where participants have the opportunity to bring their favorite healthy dish to share and event attendees vote on the evening’s best dish. The contest winner will enjoy a FREE 6 month family membership to the YMCA (a $500.00 value) and dish recipes will be available for all food dishes that are entered. For more information on how to enter visit www.venturaymca.org.

Come see how we’ve been building strong kids, strong families and strong communities for Ventura since 1887 and join us in a new generation of health, family and friendship at the YMCA!

About the Ventura Family YMCA
The Ventura Family YMCA serves over 20,000 individuals annually through facility memberships, before & after school childcare, day & resident camps, youth sports, swim lessons, teen programs, and many more healthy lifestyles and community enriching programs throughout Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Saticoy. The Ventura Family YMCA is located at 3760 Telegraph Rd., Ventura, CA 93003. Visit www.venturaymca.org or call (805) 642-2131 ext 24 for more information.