Hurricane Ian - Campus Updates

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 29 (11 A.M.)

We are happy to share that the dorms have been deemed safe for our sheltered students to return. All dorms are functioning normally on generator power, and we have started the process of transporting students back. Lunch service will be at the Campus Center during normal hours, and a hot lunch will be provided.

Students who are not sheltered on campus should not make plans to return until our assessment of the campus is complete. At that time, we will communicate an appropriate return day/time. A return to school and sport delivery is also still being assessed at this time.

All additional updates will come from Parent Relations when more information is available.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 29 (9 A.M.)

Hurricane Ian has come and gone. All students and staff on campus are safe and we are readying to get breakfast served to the group. We are also happy to report wi-fi has been restored throughout campus.

Thank you for your thoughts and well wishes throughout the day today. Several buildings have lost power and are functioning normally on generator power, and the campus has sustained some storm damage to trees, lighting poles, fencing, and our original indoor tennis bubble. We are working to make sure all power generators are fueled and assessing the campus overall. Winds are below 40mph and continuing to weaken by the hour. If this trend continues, we anticipate moving students back to the dorms later today.

We will continue to share more updates as they are available. The next update is expected at 11 a.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (11 P.M.)

Thank you for your thoughts and well wishes throughout the day today. We have endured the strongest part of Hurricane Ian, although we still expect tropical storm force winds and rain throughout the evening and into tomorrow morning. We still have power and our students are resting comfortably for the evening.

We are going to assess the safety of campus tomorrow when it is safe to do so and will update you when one is available. The next update will be Thursday at 9 a.m. ET.

Go Ascenders!

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (9 P.M.)

Hurricane Ian has weakened and continues to move away from the Bradenton area. We are still experiencing heavy rain and wind but anticipate the worst of it to moving out within the next couple hours. We have power and the students are enjoying a movie screening in the main gym. We are also preparing evening snacks for them.

We will continue to keep you updated here on IMGAcademy.com. We anticipate one additional update at 11 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (7 P.M.)

Weather conditions remain the same as Hurricane Ian has now moved southeast of the Bradenton area. We still have power but have lost wi-fi which has made cell service inconsistent. All students are safe and comfortable, and we still have full power to the building.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 9 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (5 P.M.)

As Hurricane Ian moves across the state of Florida, we continue to experience heavy wind and rain here at IMG Academy. All kids are safe, but power has been intermittent. In the event we lose full power, our facility has generator support to provide and sustain power to the building. We are currently providing dinner service to all students, which includes a variety of turkey, ham and veggie sandwiches and wraps.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 7 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (3 P.M.)

Hurricane Ian has made landfall at the Sanibel and Captiva Islands, but all remains well here at IMG Academy. We still have power and just enjoyed an epic game of staff vs. students dodgeball.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 5 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (1 P.M.)

Landfall for Hurricane Ian is imminent with the eyewall expected to move ashore at Sanibel and Captiva Islands – well below the Bradenton area – with heavy rain and strong winds expected at IMG Academy over the next several hours. We still have power, and recently concluded our hot lunch service. We have fresh fruit and snacks out at all times and are preparing sandwiches and wraps for dinner this evening.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 3 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (11 A.M.)

We have so far received minimal impact from Hurricane Ian which is supposed to make landfall south of Bradenton within the next few hours. We still have power and have hot lunch prepared for our students onsite. We have snacks, fresh fruit, and water available at all times. Morale remains high and students are enjoying in a variety of activities throughout the facility.

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 1 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – SEPT. 28 (9 A.M.)

IMG Academy Parents,

Good morning from IMG Academy! Students woke up this morning to a fresh, hot breakfast prepared by our food and beverage team and we have plans for a hot lunch as well (weather permitting). The latest forecast shows Hurricane Ian expected to make landfall a 4 p.m. ET today in the Fort Myers, Fla. Area.

We have a number of activities planned for students throughout the day including:

Fort building contest
Staff vs. students dodgeball
Dance competition
Courtside movie

We will continue to keep you updated throughout the day here on IMGAcademy.com. The next update will be at 11 a.m. ET.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – Sept. 27 (9:30 p.m.)

All students have arrived at our Basketball/Tennis facility, and after a smooth transition they are getting unpacked and settled in. They have been tremendous, and the overall morale is positive.

We anticipate that communication via email will become more difficult as the storm approaches, so beginning at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday we will provide updates every two hours at IMGAcademy.com. At that time we will no longer send update emails via Parent Relations.

Thank you all for your well wishes and support. Go Ascenders!

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – Sept. 27 (2 p.m.)

IMG Academy Parents,

Manatee County has ordered a mandatory evacuation of Zone B, which includes much of the IMG Academy West campus. Out of an abundance of caution, and in the interest of the safety for your children we will evacuate from the dorms after dinner this evening to the Basketball/Tennis facility on the East campus, which in a Zone D evacuation zone and we will shelter there for the duration of the storm. We have been proactively planning for this scenario and want you to be aware of the following:

The Basketball/Tennis facility is equipped with a generator in the event of a power outage.
The Servery remains open today for dinner from 4-6 p.m.; after dinner students will go back to the dorms for a head count.
Once all students are accounted for, students will begin being transporting with their mentors to the Basketball/Tennis facility. Dorm staff will remain with students throughout transport.
We have additional staff who have volunteered to assist with supervision throughout the storm.
Our food, supplies, and water are currently being transported to the Basketball/Tennis facility.
Health Services will remain on-campus and will move to the Basketball/Tennis facility to support any medical needs and dispense medication to our students.
Students have prepared go-bags and will have mattresses to sleep on while in the facility.

We will send one additional update this evening when all students are confirmed to have arrived at the Basketball/Tennis facility.

As the storm approaches, we anticipate that communication via email will become more difficult so beginning at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday we will provide updates every two hours here on IMGAcademy.com.

Hurricane Ian – IMG Academy Update – Sept. 26 (3 p.m.)

The latest forecasts for Hurricane Ian show the storm moving through the eastern Gulf of Mexico as a major hurricane. Given the potential for high winds and storm surge that may occur across the region, we wanted to update you on our preparations and planning.

Academics

Given the potential for high winds and inclement weather, all seated instruction will transition to e-learning beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, September 27 through Thursday, September 29th. Students who remain on campus can still participate in an optional study table on Tuesday, September 27th from 9-11 a.m. on the first floor of the Academic Center.

Sport/APD

All morning Sport students who remain onsite Tuesday will train from 8-10 a.m. and will have optional weight room time from 10:15-11:30 a.m. All afternoon Sport student-athletes will have optional weight room time from 8:30-9:45 a.m. and will train from 10 a.m.-noon.
All sport and APD sessions will be cancelled for the afternoon to allow preparation, potential evacuation, and for student-athletes to complete any schoolwork they may need to do remotely. Sport and APD will be cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Campus Preparation/Shelter

At this time, IMG Academy is not deemed to be in a mandatory evacuation zone. The plan, as of now, is for students to remain in the dorms on West campus, which is in a “B” evacuation zone.
If an evacuation from West campus is required, we have plans to transfer students and staff to the new tennis/basketball facility on East campus, which is in a “D” evacuation zone (built to withstand wind gusts of up to 160mph).
Health Services will remain on-campus and has the flexibility to move to the dorms or tennis/basketball facility to support any medical needs and dispense medication to our student.
We reiterate that we fully support each family’s decision to sign their student out. If you are able to, we encourage you to sign your student off campus.
If you are not able to sign your student out, please know that their safety is our top priority. Rest assured knowing that our buildings are some of the safest in the county and we are prepared with food, water, and supplies. All dorms and shelter areas are equipped with generators, and we have designated staff on-campus to supervise the remaining students, monitor the storm and oversee any evacuation if such a move is necessary.
The Brick Oven and Bakery will close at 3 p.m. Tuesday until further notice.
To help accommodate prep needs and staff release in the Servery, dinner tomorrow (Tuesday) will be served from 4-6 p.m. Breakfast and lunch hours will remain the same.

Parents Weekend/Homecoming

Parents Weekend and Homecoming have been postponed and we are looking at options to reschedule for a later date.

The Emergency Action Team is meeting multiple times each day and will continue to provide updates through Parent Relations and IMGAcademy.com.

Tropical Storm Ian – IMG Academy Update – Sept. 25 (3 p.m.)

We remain diligent in our preparations for any potential impact from Tropical Storm Ian. The storm continues to move west-northwest across the Caribbean and is expected to become a hurricane later today or tomorrow. The National Hurricane Center has noted the uncertainty around the long-term track and intensity forecast of this storm is higher than usual and we have a team and procedures established to respond quickly as we get more clarity with the forecast in the coming days.

At this time, the IMG Academy campus and school will continue to operate on its normal schedule early next week, and there are no plans currently to postpone Parents Weekend. If you choose to sign out your student out of an abundance of caution, please go through the proper procedure of having your child submit a “Reach leave” request so we can keep exact records of the students who remain on campus. We have plans in place for continuous education through remote learning. Students will need to engage in e-learning by ensuring they complete all academic work assigned by their instructors. Instructors will communicate directions on when they will be available remotely to provide any additional support.

If you have already signed your student out, please email the Attendance Office at [email protected] to inform the office that your student has been excused from physical school, and have your student use Plus Portals for coursework and assignments. For any questions concerning Plus Portals please contact Academic Affairs.

Please continue to check your email regularly for additional updates from our campus. For general updates, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) provides real-time information.

Tropical Storm Ian – IMG Academy Update – Sept. 24 (3 p.m.)

We continue to monitor Tropical Storm Ian, which was recently upgraded from Tropical Depression Nine. The storm is moving west across the Caribbean Sea and is currently forecast to be near western Cuba on Monday before turning towards the Florida peninsula.

While it is too soon to determine the location, timing, and magnitude of the storm’s impact, please know many of our buildings are among the safest facilities in the area. We have already implemented procedures to have food, water and supplies here for students, and have emergency generator backups in several buildings, including our dorms. We are in contact with Manatee County Emergency Management on a designated shelter facility, if the decision is made to evacuate.

The IMG Academy campus and school will continue to operate on its normal schedule at this time, and there are no plans currently to postpone Parents Weekend. If you choose to sign out your student out of an abundance of caution, please go through the proper procedure of having your child submit a “Reach leave” request so we can keep exact records of the students who remain on campus. Students will not be penalized for not being on campus but will need to engage in e-learning by ensuring they complete all academic work assigned by their instructors.

Please continue to check your email and IMGAcademy.com regularly for additional updates from our campus. For general updates, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) provides real-time information.

Tropical Storm Ian – Legacy Hotel Update - Sept. 24

Your safety and that of our associates is our number one priority. In the event our area is impacted by a storm during your stay, the hotel would transition operations with a response team that would provide service with more limited staff and resources.

If the building experiences power loss an emergency backup generator will keep power to only essential items for the building. This will commonly affect the following amenities:

Room wall outlets (in room refrigerator as well)
All non-emergency lighting
Air conditioning
Hot water
Wi-Fi & Phones (will work unless local utility power outage)
Television
Fitness Center Equipment
Outdoor Pool

A very limited food menu would be offered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner based upon the severity of storm and staff available. Housekeeping service would discontinue through length of stay with only necessary items such as toiletries and linen being delivered upon request.

If you wish to cancel your upcoming reservation due the circumstances, all cancellation penalties would be waived.

If you have questions or need assistance during your stay, please inquire with hotel staff or E-Mail, (dependent on availability): [email protected]. Stairwell access leading into the lobby floor is available on the west side of the building and signage will be present that will direct you to the front desk where an agent will always be posted should you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,
Legacy Hotel at IMG Management Team

General Manager
Michael Melendez

Assistant General Manager
Ryan Homen

Tropical Depression Nine – Update – Sept. 23 (4:30 p.m.)

We are closely monitoring Tropical Depression Nine and its potential impact on Florida next week. The system is expected to turn northwest this weekend and intensify as it enters the southeastern Gulf of Mexico early next week. As always, the safety of our students, guests and staff is paramount and we have a team and procedures established to make decisions based on the storm’s route. We also have designated facilities to provide shelter if the hurricane affects the Bradenton area.

While our campus is safe, if a parent chooses to sign out a student out of an abundance of caution, they should go through the proper procedure of having the child submit a “Reach leave” request so we are able to keep exact records of the students who are on campus. We have plans in place for continuous education through remote learning, if needed. Students who are signed out of school will need to engage in e-learning by ensuring they complete all academic work assigned by their instructors. Instructors will communicate directions on when they will be available remotely to provide any additional support should e-learning ensue.

We ask that you please check this page regularly for additional updates from our campus. For general updates, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) provides real-time information.

Sep 24, 2022