School is almost over and that means it’s time to start thinking about making summer a memorable one. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northtowns is offering two summer camps your kids won’t want to miss.
“Summer camps with the Boys & Girls Clubs are a longstanding tradition. I went to camp when I was a kid and it was a memory I’ll never forget. Our goal is to give kids a positive experience when the school year is over and set them up for success in the future,” said Jimbo McDonald, TeBeCe Program Director and Director of Organization Relations.
Two camps will be held for kids ages 5 – 12: Camp Spirit in North Tonawanda and Camp TeBeCe in Grand Island. Camp Spirit runs 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 25 – Aug. 24 and Camp TeBeCe runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July 2 through Aug. 24. Camp Spirit starts off the summer with a variety of activities for kids. Held at a 1601 Sweeney St. in North Tonawanda, kids are in for a surprise when they turn down the road to come into Camp Spirit.
“It’s the coolest experience,” said Sandi Gerace, Camp Spirit Director and Senior Program Director at Newman Family Club. “There’s deer that walk through the fields in the morning, wild turkeys…everything you wouldn’t expect in the middle of North Tonawanda.”
Camp Spirit includes several activities for kids to enjoy including a beautiful sports and recreation area; a pavilion for arts and crafts; fishing and games; a sand and swing area; a tech area for play, video games and STEM; themed weeks like Harry Potter Week; field trips; and more.
“I’ve seen kids who are extremely shy come out of their shell at camp. I always try to buddy up the shy children with the outgoing kids and it’s worked thus far,” said Gerace.
At Camp TeBeCe, the day starts off with a pledge to the flag every morning; free lunch every day through the county lunch program; a mile run to identify the fastest boy and girl; a treasure chest hunt full of prizes in the woods; an egg toss; team building activities; fishing; arts and crafts; field trips to places like Fantasy Island and Chuck-E-Cheese; and a big camp cookout every Friday just to name a few.
“Our first priority is that every kid is safe and every kid has a great time and gets the best experience out of camp as possible. Most parents can’t afford what they need to get their kids through the summer, so this gives kids an opportunity to progress into a positive future and help them reach their full potential,” said McDonald.
To register for Camp Spirit, call Ms. Sandi at the Newman Family Clubhouse at 693-2307 or email sgerace@bgcnt.net. To register for Camp TeBeCe, call Mr. Adam at 873-3244 or Mr. Franco at 876-7583 or email camptebece@bgcnt.net. You may also download a registration form at BGCNT.net. And if you’d like to sponsor a kid for camp through the Camp Champ program, visit BGCNT.net to learn more.