Expand<\/a><\/p>\nKevin Peterson, chair of the Community Foundation\u2019s board of directors, agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 1999, your generous donations have supported Long Beach youth to experience the great outdoors,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cEach year, contributions to the Kid-to-Camp Fund strive to meet increasing demand, making this annual campaign more important than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vivid experience of Tom\u2019s Kids who have attended previous camps is building high hopes from youth lining up to participate this year,\u201d Marcelle Epley, CEO of the Community Foundation, said, referencing Hennessy. \u201cIt\u2019s 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\u2019s humbling and an affirmation that the difference we make in a child\u2019s life lives well into adulthood. I know donors will come through again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials with the Big Five youth organizations are also thankful to readers for their support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe generosity of donors goes way beyond summer camp,\u201d said Alfredo Velasco, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach. \u201cThanks 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\u2019t just gain a week of memories. They gain a sense of belonging that stays with them for a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don Rodriguez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, expressed excitement about this year\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited to kick off this year\u2019s campaign knowing we have kids getting ready for a chance to get away and experience something completely new this summer,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cFor many kids, this will be their first time leaving home building independence. We\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jamie Montenegro, executive director of Camp Fire Long Beach, called the camping experience \u201cmagic in action.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCamp isn\u2019t just fun,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s where shy kids find their voices, where challenges turn into triumphs and where lifelong confidence is born. We\u2019re not just sending kids to camp; we\u2019re investing in their futures.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a very tight-knit group providing so much fun for campers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Theresa Edy Kiene, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, said camp was more than just an adventure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s where girls can step away from their worries, rediscover their strength and be surrounded by a sisterhood that lifts them up,\u201d she said. \u201cAt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
We invite you to make a contribution to the campaign this year \u2014 and make a kid\u2019s dream come true. We thank you in advance for making a difference in the lives of Sophie and so many other youngsters.<\/p>\n
HOW TO DONATE<\/p>\n
Online: Donations with a credit card via the Long Beach Community Foundation\u2019s website are preferred. Go to longbeachcf.org.<\/a><\/p>\nMail: Send a check with \u201cSend-a-Kid-to-Camp\u201d in the memo, payable to Long Beach Community Foundation, 1 World Trade Center, 8th Floor, Long Beach, CA 90831.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cI\u2019m nervous about going to my first summer camp, but I\u2019m also excited about going to the mountains,\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286889,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[23,131,133,132,741],"class_list":["post-286888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-local-news","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-rich-archbold-columns"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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