Recognizing that this summer would be very different for many families, the SportPort Mount Clemens collaborative worked to keep kids active in these challenging times. Multiple Project Play kit giveaways and free sports sampling events over the summer helped to keep the kids of Mount Clemens and surrounding areas active and having fun during a tough season of keeping their distance from others.

The projects are funded through the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and are in partnership with Advancing Macomb, the City of Mount Clemens, the Mount Clemens Public Library and the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit.

Seven different Project Play kits were given away over the course of the summer. They were themed by sponsors of each kit – the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program, Playworks, Detroit City Football Club, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons, and the Detroit Lions. Each week, the sponsoring organizations included activity cards and had online videos available to illustrate some drills and games that the kids could do with the kit equipment.

Parents, grandparents, and kids alike were excited to receive the kits. Many families came each week to receive the kits and, as a result, now have a significant collection of recreation and fitness equipment that can easily be mixed and matched for different activities on their own.

To give the kids additional outlets to play in the community, the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit’s “Y on the Fly” program hosted free youth sports sampling clinics twice a week at a number of Mount Clemens parks throughout the summer. These events encourage the youth to try sports or games that they may not be familiar with to broaden their scope of knowledge and maybe find something new that they enjoy. YMCA staff lead the charge to keep the kids at a safe distance, get them moving and even provide a healthy snack.

The “Y on the Fly” youth sports sampling clinics continue in Mount Clemens through October on Tuesdays from 5:00-7:00 pm at Olsen and Lawndale Parks and Thursdays from 5:00-7:00 pm at Shadyside and Wilson parks.

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