“I’m nervous about going to my first summer camp, but I’m also excited about going to the mountains,” said Sophie,11, of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach. “I can’t wait to go canoeing and seeing the stars at night.”
Sophie is like a lot of other kids in Long Beach who are excited about attending their first summer camp in the nearby Southern California mountains. They are looking forward to all the activity — from hiking and fishing to wall climbing and night campfires with s’mores.
But there’s just one problem for a lot of other kids: For many, spending a week away from home at a mountain camp is only a dream.
Their families simply can’t afford to send them to camp because of the cost — which continues to go higher. The average cost of sending one child to one week at a camp is $600.
But there is a way for these kids to enjoy camp this summer.
That’s where you, dear readers, come in.
The Press-Telegram — as well as its weekly sister publication, the Grunion Gazette — has once again partnered with the Long Beach Community Foundation for the 27th annual Send-a-Kid-to-Camp campaign, which starts with this article.
For more than a quarter of a century, our generous readers have opened their wallets and purses to help youngsters from low-income families enjoy a week at a mountain camp run by one of the “Big Five” youth organizations: the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, YMCA of Greater Long Beach, Camp Fire Long Beach and the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, now known as Scouting America.
The Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program, said Press-Telegram Senior Editor Tom Bray, “does exactly what it promises — it gets kids out into nature who might otherwise never be afforded such an opportunity. We’re proud to be able to spread the word about this life-changing endeavor again this year.”
Long Beach youth learn how to shoot an arrow at Camp Oakes, in the San Bernardino Mountains, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Camp Oakes campers and counselors headed to the dining hall for lunch on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kids went ziplining during the 2023 Summer Camp at Camp Oakes in Big Bear. (Photo courtesy of Samantha Rosenberg)
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Long Beach youth learn how to shoot an arrow at Camp Oakes, in the San Bernardino Mountains, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kevin Peterson, chair of the Community Foundation’s board of directors, agreed.
“Since 1999, your generous donations have supported Long Beach youth to experience the great outdoors,” Peterson said. “Each year, contributions to the Kid-to-Camp Fund strive to meet increasing demand, making this annual campaign more important than ever.”
The Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program began in 1999 when the late Press-Telegram columnist Tom Hennessy launched it with the help of Jean Bixby Smith, chair emeritus of the Community Foundation.
“The vivid experience of Tom’s Kids who have attended previous camps is building high hopes from youth lining up to participate this year,” Marcelle Epley, CEO of the Community Foundation, said, referencing Hennessy. “It’s heartwarming to hear from adults who received donor support to attend camp when they were kids. Their camp memories reflect excitement as if they just came back from camp yesterday. It’s humbling and an affirmation that the difference we make in a child’s life lives well into adulthood. I know donors will come through again.”
Officials with the Big Five youth organizations are also thankful to readers for their support.
“The generosity of donors goes way beyond summer camp,” said Alfredo Velasco, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach. “Thanks to donors, more kids experience something life-changing. For many of our kids, this is their first step into nature and a new world. In a world full of screens and constant noise, camp gives youth the space to unplug and discover themselves. They don’t just gain a week of memories. They gain a sense of belonging that stays with them for a lifetime.”
Don Rodriguez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, expressed excitement about this year’s campaign.
“We’re excited to kick off this year’s campaign knowing we have kids getting ready for a chance to get away and experience something completely new this summer,” Rodriguez said. “For many kids, this will be their first time leaving home building independence. We’re grateful for a community that continues to show up and invest in these moments because we know just how life-changing a week at camp can be for a young person.”
Jamie Montenegro, executive director of Camp Fire Long Beach, called the camping experience “magic in action.”
“Camp isn’t just fun,” she said. “It’s where shy kids find their voices, where challenges turn into triumphs and where lifelong confidence is born. We’re not just sending kids to camp; we’re investing in their futures.”
Marc Bonner, CEO of the Long Beach Area Council of Scouting America, said one special thing about their Camp Tahquitz, in the San Bernardino Mountains, is that 100% of their staff were campers as youths.
“It is a very tight-knit group providing so much fun for campers,” he said. “It also is a testament to the quality programs and safe environment we provide, from learning to ride horses to paddling a kayak, catching a fish and climbing a 40-foot tower. Long Beach kids are making lifelong memories, thanks to the generosity of P-T readers.”
Theresa Edy Kiene, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, said camp was more than just an adventure.
“It’s where girls can step away from their worries, rediscover their strength and be surrounded by a sisterhood that lifts them up,” she said. “At camp, they decompress and embrace the unique type of self-care that only nature and facetime with friends provide. They build core memories, own their strengths, discover more about themselves and tap into newfound levels of self-esteem in a safe environment.”
We invite you to make a contribution to the campaign this year — and make a kid’s dream come true. We thank you in advance for making a difference in the lives of Sophie and so many other youngsters.
HOW TO DONATE
Online: Donations with a credit card via the Long Beach Community Foundation’s website are preferred. Go to longbeachcf.org.
Mail: Send a check with “Send-a-Kid-to-Camp” in the memo, payable to Long Beach Community Foundation, 1 World Trade Center, 8th Floor, Long Beach, CA 90831.