Ithaca Youth Bureau Kicks Off 75th Anniversary Celebration with Bike Ride
This year, the Ithaca Youth Bureau (YB) celebrates 75 years of service to the Ithaca community and the Cass Park Pool turns 50 years old! The Youth Bureau has touched many people’s lives over the last 75 years and looks forward to another 75 years of serving youth and families.
The YB is kicking off its 75th year celebrations with the first bike ride of the season at Ithaca Bike Rental (IBR), a program of the IYB.
The Youth Bureau has invited Common Council, Mayor, and County Legislators on this guided ride along the Cayuga Waterfront Trail on Friday, May 5th from 3-5PM. The bike tour will take riders through Stewart Park along the Water Front Trail to Cass Park and back.
“The Youth Bureau has seen decades of youth find their passions and develop their skills in our programs,” said Youth Bureau Director Liz Klohmann. “We are excited to share our history, accomplishments and celebrate with the community this year as we enter into a variety of activities during the warmer months”.
Other IYB 75th Anniversary activities:
IYB Bingo - We’ve put a YB twist on the beloved game of Bingo. Each summer month (May, June, July, and August) we’ll launch a new Bingo card that the community can use to help them participate in YB-related activities around Ithaca. There are a variety of activities, and each card has at least one row, column, or diagonal that is completely free and inclusive for people of all abilities.
Take the History Walk from the YB to Cass Park - beginning August walk the Water Front Trail from the YB to Cass Park and learn about the history of the YB. Each decade will be highlighted along the way on yard signs. More information can be found using a QR code to link to the virtual timeline.
Birthday Party - End the summer with a traditional birthday party - free cake, music and ice cream- on August 5th at Cass Park from 5:30 - 7:00 PM. We'll have discounted admission to Cass Park Pool throughout the day and Cass Rink Roller Skating that evening from 7 - 8 :30 PM
The YB will only turn 75 once, and we hope you will join us to celebrate the Youth Bureau! We will have food trucks set up in the parking lot, birthday cake, ice cream, and live music.
Living History: Alumni Features - The Ithaca Youth Bureau focuses on Building a Foundation for a Lifetime. We’ve seen youth participate in programs and grow up to send their children to YB programs and activities. Each month, we’ll share feature stories of YB alumni. Reminisce and enjoy memories from former staff, program participants, and volunteers from the past seven decades. If you are a Youth Bureau alumni and would like to share your favorite YB memories, please fill out this short questionnaire.
75 Mentors - Mentors play a huge part in shaping a youth’s foundation for a lifetime and many of the YB programs need mentors. For example, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ithaca and Tompkins County are on a mission to get 75 mentors this year. Other youth development programs, such as College Discovery Program and Paul Schreurs Memorial Program, are also in need of mentors to support the tweens and teens in their programs.
Purity Ice Cream Flavor - We are excited to partner with Purity Ice Cream for a limited-edition IYB 75th Anniversary flavor that community members will be able to enjoy at the Birthday Party on August 5! You can also find Youth Bureau participant displays at Purity during the summer.
Stay up-to-date on IYB 75th Anniversary activities: https://www.ithacayouthbureau.org/75th-anniversary.html
Check out our social media for history highlights, alumni features, and 75th-anniversary events: https://www.facebook.com/ithacayouthbureau
About the Ithaca Youth Bureau:
The Ithaca Youth Bureau was created in 1948 by a resolution of the Common Council charged with the mission of providing youth programs in the community. The Youth Bureau was one of six original agencies established under the New York State Youth Commission Act. Under that 1948 act, the current state umbrella agency for youth bureaus, the Division for Youth, still provides funds to the city toward the cost of youth programming.