Getting a cocktail or mocktail this month will help send kids to a camp in the mountains this summer — if you know where to go.

Throughout May, The Bungalow Huntington Beach, 21058 Pacific Coast Highway, will feature special camp-themed drinks, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Press-Telegram’s Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program, according to Deb Fass, chief marketing officer for the Bungalow Hospitality Group.

“Giving back to the community is an important part of our culture,” Fass said. “Throughout the year, we partner with nonprofits in monthlong initiatives to raise both funds and awareness. The Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program is a natural fit for us.”

Two drinks, one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic, have been specifically designed and named for the camp program during May, Fass said. The drinks are:

The Counselor Cooler: alcoholic, vodka, white wine, strawberry and pineapple. $15.
The Mess Hall Mocktail: non-alcoholic whiskey, blackberry puree, agave and lemon. $14.

Tara Sievers, donor and community relations manager for the Long Beach Community Foundation, which is once again partnering with the Press-Telegram for the Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program, said the foundation “was thrilled to be part of The Bungalow Gives Back Initiative.”

“We are grateful that they are partnering with our local nonprofit community,” Sievers said, “to support important causes that benefit Long Beach and its residents.”

(The partnership was initially set to be with The Bungalow Long Beach, in the 2nd & PCH retail center, but that location closed, effective Friday, May 1, Sievers said. But the Bungalow Hospitality Group will still offer the themed drinks at its Huntington Beach location, with a portion of the proceeds helping out the Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program.)

This is the 27th year that the Press-Telegram, as well as its sister publication, the Grunion Gazette, has partnered with the Community Foundation to send kids to weeklong summer camps in nearby mountains.

Generous readers have opened their wallets and purses to help youngsters from low-income families enjoy a week at camps 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.

Since the program started, hundreds of kids have enjoyed summer camps thanks to the generosity of P-T and Grunion readers. Keep in mind that the costs are increasing. (Isn’t everything?). It now takes about $600 on average to send one youngster to an overnight camp for one week.

Sievers asked readers to stop by at The Bungalow this month and order one of its specialty drinks — to help the Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program.

She also thanked The Bungalow for partnering throughout the year with other nonprofits to support various important causes that benefit Long Beach.

The Bungalow’s other partnerships, Fass said, include the LGBTQ Center in June; Surfrider Foundation, Long Beach chapter, in July; Assistance League of Long Beach’s Operation School Bell in October; and the Long Beach Rescue Mission in November.

“We like to think of ourselves as ‘a community clubhouse,’” Fass said, “and part of that is supporting organizations that make our local community stronger.”

Besides Huntington Beach, The Bungalow has one more location, the original one in Santa Monica.

“The Bungalow Huntington Beach is your neighborhood escape in the heart of Surf City,” The Bungalow’s website says. “Come for a cocktail, stay for the music and good company.

“From breezy happy hours and live DJs to epic themed nights and local pop-ups,” the website added, “we’re all about setting the perfect scene to unwind, connect, and make unforgettable memories.”

For more information on The Bungalow Huntington Beach, including operating hours, go to TheBungalow.com.

We invite you to have a special drink at The Bungalow during May to help send kids to camp. We thank you in advance for making a contribution to the campaign this year — and helping a kid’s dream come true. We also thank The Bungalow for participating and making a difference in the lives of youth.

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.