Actually Sidney Gymnastics Center (SGC) will have 20 hogs, or one should say 20 hams PLUS door prizes, drinks, popcorn, and baked goods at its “Ham Bingo Night” gymnastics center addition fundraiser scheduled April 8, 2 p.m. at the Central School gym in Sidney.
SGC is a parent run 501 3c organization in Sidney, MT, dedicated since 1989 to providing Richland County and the surrounding areas with an opportunity to experience a high quality gymnastics experience. Beginning with its “Tumble Toddler” program for age walking to age 3, continuing with a 3 to age pre-kindergarten “Tumble Bugs” class, “Tumble Bugs BIG” for kindergartners, beginning-intermediate-advanced classes for elementary through high school age, and an award winning competitive team; SGC continually strives to provide gymnastics movement education at a very affordable price.
SGC is bursting at the seams with gymnastics students these days, and is looking to double its current facility size from 5,000 to 10,000 square feet with a 100 x 50 foot addition, costing $650,000. Coach Pat McWilliams talks about the enrollment history at SGC and the current need for the addition:
“In the 90s and through the middle 2000s, the gym had an enrollment of 150 to 160 students. In the late 2000s and into the early tens, the enrollment had slipped down to 60 to 80 students. When my wife Jan and I started teaching at SGC in 2011, only about 60 kids were taking classes. Over the last several years we have seen significant increase. SGC began hitting the 200s in enrollment with the school year 2014, and had over 300 students taking classes the 2015-1016 school year. We’ve had about 230 come through the program so far the 2016-2017 school year.”
With this growth has come crowding. With only 3700 of SGC’s 5000 square foot facility available for actual gymnastics equipment, things can get pretty tight, with some classes having over 40 students in them. Building an addition would have a number of advantages for SGC students and parents.
One of the greatest advantages would be the ability to open up more classes, and have classes available with a later start time to benefit those families with two working parents. Another advantage would be the opportunity to run several different types of classes simultaneously; for example a pre-school class, and elementary age class, and a team workout all operating at the same time.
Other advantages include the addition of locker rooms, an improved parent viewing area, and an area dedicated solely to pre-school gymnastics classes.
An additional significant advantage of the addition would be the ability to add new equipment such as a “foam pit.” A gymnastics “pit” is a large 6’ deep hole with a trampoline bed 3’ down, filled to the top with foam cubes. A pit would open up a lot of fun activities for all classes, pre-school through elementary, as well as provide the competitive team with the ability to train more difficult skills. If one visits a “Trampoline Gym” such as can be found in Minot and Billings, one will see foam pits in use by all age children.
SGC would like to invite all Richland County (and beyond!) to come to our Ham Bingo Night on April 8, 2 p.m. at the Central School Gym. Be prepared to enjoy a festive night of Bingo, door prizes, refreshments and all around good clean fun while helping SGC move closer to its goal of a 5000 square foot addition to its current facility.
For further information on Ham Bingo Night, or to sign up for a birthday party or enroll a student in a gymnastics class, call Sidney Gymnastics Club at 406-433-3008 or visit our “Sidney Gymnastics Club” Facebook page today!
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