Kids had summer fun at the Boys & Girls Club

Summer camp at the local Boys & Girls Club offered sports, physical fitness activities, cooking class, science, arts and crafts, computers and swimming from June 22 to July 30.

Camp participants played Wii Nintendo sports and fitness games such as bowling, tennis and dancing, said Chris Risinger, Morgan County unit director of the Boys & Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle.

They had as many as 18 boys and girls dancing to the Wii game at once. Playing the games was a really good physical activity, he said.

Staff also did different “Minute to Win it” games each day, based on the television game show.

Camp schedule

The camp day started at 7 a.m. with early drop-off for working parents. After breakfast, there were outdoor games like dodgeball, soccer, kickball and basketball.

Three afternoons a week they went swimming at Berkeley Springs State Park after lunch. Girl Scout instructor Carrie Pollard did a Science Discovery program with the kids once a week.

Field trips

Camp members went on an end-of-camp field trip to Lakemont Amusement Park in Altoona, Pa.

Summer camp participants automatically become members for the fall, Risinger said.
Some 48 children participated in their summer program. About 14 teens served as volunteer junior staff for the summer.
Staff rotated cooking duties for the summer meal program. A grant they received from the Child & Adult Food Care Program pays for food and subsidizes salaries, he said.

Summer camp is going well, Risinger said. All staff is experienced from working at the camp before.

“It runs pretty smoothly,” he said.

Numbers are down
Numbers of summer program participants are down some from last year. A lot of families couldn’t afford camp this year with job losses, layoffs and the economy, Risinger said.
The club has also lost some after-school program members. If parents have lost their jobs, kids are often going home after school instead of coming to the club, he said.
The club is always searching for funding and support, Risinger said.
“We’re surviving,” he said.
Fundraisers
The Boys & Girls Club is doing concessions again for the Cacapon State Park Homecoming on Labor Day Weekend.
After-school program
The club’s after-school program begins on Monday, August 23.
For more information about the club, call 304-258-5012.