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City offers a plethora of programs
More than 700 children, teenagers and adults sign up for swim lessons
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Blythe Brown, right, and her niece Carsynn Goblirsch were among the 700-plus participants that signed up for Ceres Recreation Division swim lessons this summer. - photo by DALE BUTLER/Courier file photo

The city of Ceres Recreation Division served as many as 1,000 people each week during the summertime.

Employees presented a slide show detailing their work schedules at a July 22 Ceres City Council meeting.

"We had a busy season," said Traci Farris, recreation supervisor. "We had really, good numbers for everything. It's pretty remarkable."

Ceres experienced an increase in participation for just about every program thanks to its social-media presence.

"Our Facebook page has a lot more followers," Farris said. "We're on Twitter."

Approximately 735 children, teenagers and adults signed up for Ceres' Session I, II and III swim lessons, up from 633 in 2012, offered between June 17 and Aug. 9.

Cost was $40 per participant.

Ceres also offered water aerobics classes (12 participants), and aquatics (48), junior lifeguard (13) and water polo (15) camps.

"We had record numbers for our aquatics program compared to last year," Farris said. "We had 102 more participants this year."

Approximately 80 children signed up for the Gymastics-Fitness program, offered June 24 through July 29. Basic gymnastics skills included floor tumbling, beam, bars and trampoline. Cost was $35 for Parent/Tot and Kinder, and $40 for Elementary.

"Our classes were overflowing," Farris said.

About 94 children took dance classes between May 25 and Aug. 25. Instructors focused on ballet, jazz and hip hop during the 12-week program, culminating with a recital on the last day. Cost was $60.

Yoga and Fitness Bootcamp were also popular adult exercise classes.

Two sessions (May 14-June 20, June 27-Aug. 8) were offered.

Cost was $60.

"We had a great response," Farris said.

Ceres offered Capoeira for the first time (June 25-July 30). The Afro-Brazilian Martial Arts form combines elements of martial-arts technique, music and dance. Eleven people signed up. Cost was $40.

The city of Ceres' fall schedule will be just as busy.

Yoga and Fitness Bootcamp will be offered again.

Adult Softball, NFL Flag Football & Cheer, Ceres Hoopsters and other programs have drawn interest as well.

Ceres Hoopsters, a non-competitive, co-ed youth basketball league for children in grades K-8, runs 10 weeks with games scheduled on Saturdays. More than 90 kids have signed up for the 2013 season, which runs Sept. 21 through Nov. 23.

"We had great participation this summer," Farris said. "People are starting to invest in their recreation more. We have a lot of repeat customers. We're happy about that."