Fall Swim Lessons and Club

Pearce will offer group swim lessons this fall to children three years and older. The eight-week session begins the week of September 5.

Lessons are available for two age groups. Preschool lessons for ages three and four years are offered on Fridays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Youth lessons for children five years and older are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:15 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.

The cost of the class is $33.75 for Pearce Foundation members; $45 for members; and $70 for non-members. Register for swim lessons at Pearce.

Swim club registration is also being accepted. Swim Club is designed to help swimmers ages 6 and older develop and improve competitive swimming abilities including a variety of strokes, strength, and speed. Participants must be able to swim the length of the pool unassisted. The fall swim club session runs concurrently with swim lessons and meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The cost of swim club is $45 for Foundation members; members $60; non-members $75.

August Senior Potluck

Pearce will host the monthly senior potluck at noon on Tuesday, August 22. All seniors are invited to bring a side dish and their own table service and join in the fun. Fried chicken and drinks are provided. This month, entertainment will be provided by The Geezers.

Fall Fitness Programs Get Adults Back to the Gym

Pearce Community Center will offer Challenge for Change, September 11 through November 2, meeting twice each week for eight weeks.

Participants will change the way they think about exercise, fitness, and nutrition to overcome obstacles that prevent them from meeting their fitness goals in order to make long lasting changes to their routines for better health. Weigh-ins will be conducted and inches lost will be tracked; however, participants will come to understand that these are a byproduct of hard work. Workouts will be designed to improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness to improve everyday life. 

Two training sessions are available: Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Participates will be required to attend an informational meeting. Choose the meeting on September 5 or 7, both starting at 6:00 p.m.

The cost of the program is $225 for Pearce Foundation members; $300 for Pearce members; and $375 for non-members.

Food Choices Matter, a new nutrition class, is available to add on to Challenge for Change. To get the best results, this add-on class allows participants to pair Challenge for Change with a solid nutrition plan that will help them customize the diet plan that is right for them, provide accountability, and develop specific eating habits that will help them break through to their goals. The nutrition add on class will be taught by Megan O’Reilly, AFPA certified nutritionist and wellness consultant. Megan will bring her advanced education, multiple certifications, and years of experience to the class.

As an add-on class to Challenge for Change, Food Choices Matter will meet on September 18 for one hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and then again for 30 minutes on September 27, October 4, 11, and 18 from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.   

 

The cost to add on Food Choices Matter is $56.25 for Foundation members; $75 for Pearce members; and $93.75 for non-members.

Refer a Friend!

Pearce members can earn one month free when they refer a friend to Pearce!

Fall Running Club

The Pearce Running Club will kick off its 10-week fall session on Tuesday, August 29 at 5:30 p.m. Club members will run each Tuesday and Thursday evening. The Club is open to all ages and skill levels; however, children under the age of 10 must run with an adult. Weekly runs are led by Illinois Valley Striders. In inclement weather, the Club runs on Pearce’s indoor track. Foundation members pay only $60 for club membership; members $80; non-members $100.

Exergame Room Hours Change

Summer hours of operation for the Exergame Room on the second floor have ended. Regular hours of operation are Monday through Thursday 4:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Staff Trifecta in Kids Club

Most parents agree there's no one better to watch their children than grandma. Pearce's Kids Club boasts three incredible ladies who perfectly meet the grandma criteria: loving, caring, soothing, patient, and kind. They fly their grandma flag proudly and proclaim "Bring us your babies!"

Introducing Pat Davis, Sharon Hughes, and Patti Hedden, grandmas extraordinaire. Pat Davis is retired from a long career with Caterpillar. After a couple months of retirement, she got restless and returned to the workforce at St. Joseph's Nursing Home in Lacon for a time. When she left there, it didn't take long for her to get restless again. She wanted something part time where she could share her love and compassion with others. Through a friends recommendation, she found Pearce Kids Club. Pat has three children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Sharon Hughes is a registered nurse and spent most of her professional life in health care. She worked at Perry Memorial in Princeville, St. Joseph's Nursing Home, in a pediatrician's office, and as an industrial nurse at Cat. She is also a certified teachers aide, working with students with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. She still subs from time to time at IVC and Midland school districts. Sharon has three children and three grandchildren. One of her granddaughters has downs syndrome, part of the reason for her passion for working with children with disabilities. 

While Patti Hedden isn't officially a grandma yet, she dreams of that day and fills the void with the little ones who visit the Kids Club. Patti recently retired from a career in real estate. "I love to watch them play," says Patti. "The recurring playtime favorite is girls playing mommy, holding the baby dolls and feeding them lunch. Sometimes they 'drive' their babies to the park (the couch) for a picnic."

"The little boys seem very fond of Legos, building towers they then destroy with the trucks, along with creative sound effects!"

"We all love to buy things like coloring books and toys for the Kids Club," said Patti. "If a favorite toy is broken, we do our best to repair it. Anything for the kids!"   

The Kids Club is open to children ages six months to seven years Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon; Monday through Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday from 8:00 to 11:15 a.m. The cost is $1.25 per half-hour. 

Patti Hedden

Pat Davis

Sharon Hughes