SEPTEMBER 2021 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 61
BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
SUFFOLK Y JCC
$1.5M REMAKE, EXPANSION
Nearly 50 years after its founding, the Suffolk
Y JCC (SYJCC) is undergoing a major revamp
to better serve residents and the community in
general and expand services and equipment.
The project, ranging from an expansion of virtual
classes to new exercise equipment, marks a key
moment in the organization’s history and its
latest adaptation to changing needs.
“The Suffolk Y JCC has been part of the Suffolk
community for the last 45 years,” Marlie Cohen,
chief program officer, said of the SYJCC located
in Commack. “Throughout that time, we’ve
grown and adapted to meet the needs of the
community as a whole.”
The SYJCC, used by more than 20,000 people
annually, serves children as young as 3 months
old through seniors older than 100 as well as
children and adults with special needs. It already
has raised and earmarked $800,000 toward a $1.5
million capital improvement goal.
The SYJCC offers affordable programs for
infants, toddlers, children and families, such
as the SYJCC Early Learning Center and the
Kidsplace program for before- and after- school
care.
It also operates the Butler Center for Individuals
with Special Needs, multiple summer camps,
parent-child programs, programs for seniors,
and a community food pantry.
“Whether it’s going in for bereavement
counseling and support groups or to use the
fitness center, we do everything,” Cohen said.
“We’re going to be upgrading the facilities.”
The SYJCC, funded by member fees, foundations,
the UJA Federation of New York and private
donations, offers a wide range of facilities.
Those include four outdoor tennis courts, two
outdoor basketball courts, two full-size gyms,
an elevated indoor track, indoor 25-meter heated
pool and hot tub, comprehensive fitness center
and locker rooms with saunas and steam rooms.
“We’re moving along with the times and staying
relevant to the community,” Cohen continued.
“We’re moving forward, adapting everything
to the changes.”
The SYJCC already upgraded WiFi and lighting
throughout the building, key improvements
allowing increased services provided online.
“This enabled us to be able to engage our
members in the community however they need
to be engaged, through virtual programs, virtual
support groups, discussion groups,” Cohen said.
Children can do homework and get homework
help online, another key change once the
pandemic hit. Residents can take part in fitness
classes without being at the SYJCC.
“You can take part in our fitness classes inside
our building, outside our building under our
tent, and virtually,” Cohen said.
The center already renovated and upgraded its
playground, adding new playground pieces and
a new spider climbing wall.
And the center renovated the outdoor pool and
refurbished the Malberg Senior Center. “The
rooms were completely upgraded to allow for
more senior classes and programs,” Cohen
continued.
It renovated the baseball field, added a new
welcome center, new outdoor classroom for
the early learning center, new indoor pickleball
courts, and a new curtain for Stage 74, its 600-
seat theater. “Pickleball’s all the rage right now,”
Cohen said.
The center also renovated the deck, family pool,
bathroom, and changing room, and are gearing
up to expand and add new equipment to the gym.
“We are going to be completely redoing our
fitness center with all new equipment, flooring
and walls,” Cohen said. “The whole layout of
the fitness center will look different.”
A full slate of projects is planned for the fall with
other big changes in the works. A new outdoor
pavilion is slated for summer camps as of 2022.
“It will be a freestanding structure as an upgrade
to all of our camp programs,” Cohen said. “It
will be outside with no walls with a cement floor
and a roof.”
New Gaga pits are being planned for summer
camp in 2022 along with plans to renovate tennis
courts as well as new indoor and outdoor pickle
ball courts. The SYJCC plans to renovate its
parking lot and add a new school bus.
That’s in addition to the renovation of the early
childhood center halls, new gym flooring and a
retractable partition as well as new theater stage
lighting and sound system.
Rendering of new fitness center
“Our theater has high-quality programs
throughout the year for all different ages,” Cohen
said. “We already put in a new curtain. We will
be putting in new lighting and a sound system.”
The SYJCC expanded access by increasing hours
for certain services and investing in the site.
“We’ve expanded our Butler Center for Special
Needs programming to seven days a week,”
Cohen added.
Events are in the works as fall arrives. On
Sept. 26, the SYJCC is hosting a 5K fundraiser,
Running Toward Our Future, and its family fun
fall festival, complete with inflatables, games and
more in the afternoon.
Suffolk Y JCC’s Stage 74 will be joining thousands
of theatrical organizations around the globe
by producing its own local production of All
Together Now!: A Global Fundraising Event
Celebrating Local Theatre. Stage 74 performances
are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. In
addition, the theater offers shows performed by
people of all ages throughout the year.
SYJCC fitness areas
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