Chelsea Piers has been nominated for Nickelodeon’s ParentsConnect third annual Parents’ Picks Award in the categories of Best Martial Arts Class and Best Preschool!

The Parents' Picks Awards is a nationwide online poll that allows parents to vote for their favorite family places, products and parenting tips now through August 31, 2010.

Nominees for this year's Parents' Picks Awards were determined by ParentsConnect members who submitted nominations. The top 5 nominees with the most votes in each category are now the official nominees in this final voting round. User votes ultimately determine the winners in the 30 different categories.

Click here to vote for Chelsea Piers as the best place for your tot to learn their ABCs and 123s, in the category of Best Preschool.

If you think Chelsea Piers is the number one spot for your little one to perfect his fierce flying side kick, click here for Best Martial Arts class.

We are extremely thankful to all who vote for us. Let’s help make Chelsea Piers a "Parents' Picks 2010 Winner!!"

Chelsea Piers Summer Camp is teaming up with Operation Backpack, Volunteers of America's annual campaign to provide backpacks and school supplies for homeless children in NYC, for the second year in a row!

Operation Backpack's goal is to ensure that every child in the shelter system returns to school this fall with exactly the supplies they need. Last year, Operation Backpack's efforts resulted in more than 6,000 children receiving new, filled backpacks!

Here's how you can help:

Please drop a new backpack, schools supplies or a backpack filled with grade-appropriate school supplies in the collection box in the Field House lobby from July 26 to August 8.

To see the recommended, grade-appropriate school supply list and get the labels to place on your filled backpack, please click here.

For additional information on Operation Backpack of Volunteers of America, please click here: http://www.operationbackpacknyc.org.  If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Fischer at amandaf@chelseapiers.com.

Good luck to Ali Blank, Angela Chiang, Rusty Constine, Wade Corbett, Marni Halasa, Bridie Myles and Maria O'Connor, as they travel to Cologne, Germany, to compete in the Gay Games VIII on July 31!

The Gay Games is the biggest sports and cultural festival in the world. Some 10,000 participants from more than 70 countries will converge for The Games and celebrate the principles of participation, inclusion and personal best. 

The motto is "Be part of it!," and the invitation is open to everyone!

With a total of 35 athletic disciplines, Gay Games VIII will cover a wide-ranging program of sports. However, the figure skating competition is expected to be one of the highlights of the Games.  About 120 skaters (including our 7 coaches!) are expected to participate. 

Four years ago, at the Gay Games VII in Chicago, Marni Halasa, Maria O'Connor and Wade Corbett all took home gold medals.  Let's hope for gold medals all around! Good luck coaches!

Whether you're a beginner and don’t know where to start, or an athlete who has already competed in a triathlon and is looking to improve your performance, the Sports Center's Half-Day Triathlon Camp will put you on the right training track. Myself and Senior Coach Andrew Kalley will put you through an actual triathlon workout and teach you how to develop an effective training program. We'll analyzing your strengths and figure out where you can improve, discuss injury prevention, cover how to save time during transitions and even talk about the difference between training and racing gear. Don't miss this! Everything you need to know about triathlons in 4 hours!

Join us on Saturday, July 24 from 10:30am - 2:30pm at the Sports Center! Click here for more information and to register!