The state’s expanded Summer Nights Program, geared to urban youth ages 13 to 21, is bringing free fitness programs to Haverhill and Methuen.
The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Haverhill is offering organized activities including sports, fitness, recreation, finance literacy, community service projects and more, Monday-Friday through Aug. 25, from 4-8 p.m., at 55 Emerson St., Haverhill. Meanwhile, the YMCA of North Shore is hosting a summer basketball league, Tuesdays at 6 p.m., at 81 Winter St., Haverhill.
In Methuen, Merrimack Valley YMCA host Music Clubhouse and basketball on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m., through Aug. 18, at 129 Haverhill St., Methuen. Dinner is provided. Methuen Arlington Neighborhood hosts a summer parks and recreation program including organized sports, yoga, karate, arts and crafts, recreational opportunities, field trips and games Monday-Fridays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at Tenney Street Park, 141 Tenney St., Methuen. There is also a Summer Basketball League, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5-8 p.m., at the park.
Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper and Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Brian Arrigo kicked off the annual Summer Nights Program Tuesday morning with a game of basketball with teens and young adults at the Francis D. Martini Memorial Shell Park in Hyde Park.
“Programs like Summer Nights give young people opportunities to build healthy relationships, while also serving as a critical tool for violence prevention during the hot summer months. Summer Nights is also free, making fun recreational activities available to every family who wants to participate,” Healey said.
The program launched in 2015 with four partners and has grown to hosting programming for roughly 20,000 young people in urban areas around the state. This year’s program costs $3 million, with $2.6 million going directly to partners and the remaining money for police details, equipment, marketing and staffing costs.