Everywhere you looked at beautiful Camp Oakes, high in the San Bernardino Mountains, last week, you could see kids having fun.
There were kids canoeing in the lake, hiking on trails, shooting arrows, climbing a giant wall, fishing and, perhaps most exciting, zip lining at the camp, which is 7,400 feet high in the mountains.
And at night, there were kids talking and singing around campfires while staring at stunningly shining stars in the sky.
One of the kids — Misa, 9, from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach — said she was so excited she didn’t sleep all night.
“I had a great time,” she said, “and I wanted to see the sun come up in the morning.”
Camp Oakes campers participating in chants before heading to lunch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Camp Oakes campers and counselors heading to the dining hall for lunch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
A Camp Oakes counselor secures life vests on kids before they go canoeing on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Camp Oakes campers participating in chants before heading to lunch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kids canoe around the lake at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Chef Andrea Gomez, the new director of food services at Camp Oakes, read the lunch menu for campers on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Chef Andrea Gomez, the new director of food services at Camp Oakes, read the lunch menu for campers on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kids canoe around the lake at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Camp Oakes campers and counselors getting ready for lunch inside the dining hall on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach youth and other campers practice archery at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kids canoe around the lake at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
(L-R) Executive Director of Camp Oakes Liz Lomba, lead counselor Cristina Gutierrez, and Press-Telegram columnist Rich Archbold inside the dining hall at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Camp Oakes campers and counselors heading to the dining hall for lunch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach youth and other campers practice archery at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Kids canoe around the lake at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Press-Telegram columnist Rich Archbold speaking to kids at Camp Oakes about their experience at summer camp on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach youth and other campers practice archery at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach youth and other campers practice archery at Camp Oakes on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Show Caption
1 of 18
Camp Oakes campers participating in chants before heading to lunch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Misa and other youngsters from the Boys & Girls Clubs and the YMCA of Greater Long Beach were enjoying the mountain camp thanks to the financial aid of Press-Telegram readers, who contributed donations to the newspaper’s 27th annual Send-a-Kid-to-Camp fund.
The annual donations from readers of the Press-Telegram and its sister publication, the Grunion Gazette, help send kids to one week in summer camps operated by the “Big Five” youth organizations: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, YMCA of Greater Long Beach, Camp Fire Long Beach, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, now called Scouting America.
The Camp Fire kids, Girl Scouts and Scouting America kids go to different camps.
Readers donated a record $170,774 this year, which is no small feat for a program the Press-Telegram launched in 1989 in partnership with the Long Beach Community Foundation.
“It’s wonderful to see the growth of campers from their first day to their last day at camp,” said Liz Bomba, executive director of Camp Oakes. “It’s great seeing them make new friends and grow in confidence and independence.”
Don Rodriguez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, agreed.
“The generous donations from Press-Telegram readers not only provided these young individuals with a much-needed break from the city,” he said, “but it also gave them a life-changing opportunity to explore the wonders of the outdoors for the first time.”
At the lake on Wednesday, July 8, counselors Allison and Abby gave a group of youngsters instructions on how to use canoes.
“Don’t bother the wildlife ducks and fish,” Allison told the attentive youths, “don’t wave your paddles and don’t go to Snake Island which is called that for good reason.”
Renai, 10, from the Boys & Girls Clubs, said canoeing and fishing were her favorite activities.
“Swimming was my favorite,” said Daisy, 9.
Camp Oakes has a large, beautiful swimming pool.
At the archery range, aspiring young Robin Hoods were having a great time trying to hit the target. Several kids missed the target 20 feet away. But they kept trying — as arrows flew over the targets.
“I hit the bull’s-eye,” shouted Evali, a sixth-grader.
“It was fun,” said Zelah, 13.
At noon the day I visited, the kids gathered around the flagpole, with each group breaking into chants to outdo the others.
One chant was: “We feel good. We feel fine. We feel good. All the time!”
Another popular activity for the kids was wearing different colored bracelets — red, yellow, blue and green — that represent activity teams.
“The kids earn points for various activities,” said Cristina Gutierrez, the head counselor. “The idea is to build teamwork and community spirit.”
Another favorite was lunchtime, with great food and entertainment coming from super chef Andrea Gomez.
She stood on a wooden box and exhorted the kids with the day’s menu.
In a surprise for me, she somehow discovered that I had just had my 88th birthday on Tuesday. She asked the more than 100 kids to sing “Happy Birthday,” which they did loudly and in unison — cha, cha, cha. It was a great birthday present.
Later, Gomez said she has been at Camp Oakes for four years and loves entertaining the kids and making their eating time cheerful and enjoyable.
Bomba, the camp director, thanked Press-Telegram and Grunion Gazette readers for their generosity.
I wish all of you could have been with us at Camp Oakes to watch these kids having so much fun, learning new things and making new friends.
That’s what the Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program is all about — making a difference in the lives of kids.
Thank you!