Community Corner

Help Send New Haven Area Kids to Summer Camp

The New Haven Register Fresh Air Fund seeks $35,000 for summer camp grants, intended to help underprivileged children in CT.

As summer’s heat creeps upon towns and cities, and children look forward to packing bags with playclothes and toys, books and balls, The New Haven Register Fresh Air Fund is asking for donations to help young people make their way to camp.

The fund has sponsored youth leadership through summer camps since 1905, when John Day Jackson — owner and publisher of the New Haven Register at the time — established the Fresh Air Fund, according to the fund’s website.

The fund goes to summer camps in Milford, New Haven, Andover, Branford, Chester, Derby, Hamden and Woodbridge, according to an article by the New Haven Register.

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This year, 12 summer camps will decide which children get assistance from the Fresh Air Fund, and how much they will receive. Families interested in receiving scholarships should apply to the camp of their choice. The camps allow for some partial scholarships.

The cost can vary with each camp. Camp Farnam in New Haven, for example, costs $150 each week per child plus a one-time $10 family registration fee. Camp Farnam offers activities such as swimming, organized sports and nature studies.

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The summer camp cost for Schooner Inc. in New Haven ranges from $260 to $695, depending on a child’s grade level and the length of the session — one or two weeks. Schooner Camp offers programs in marine education, sailing and science.

Channel 3 Kids Camp puts prices on a sliding scale, said Sue Vining, director of marketing and communications for the camp. Prices are based on a household’s income divided by the number of people in the family, and any child who gets free or reduced hot lunch is eligible for a greater discount.

Vining said camp is important because it gets children away from electronics and exposes them to the outdoors and interaction with other children.

“They build confidence and trust in their own selves and in their independence,” Vining said.

More information and details about camps and cost can be found on each camp’s website or by contacting the camps directly.

In search of it’s $35,000 goal, the fund is accepting donations online. Last year’s fund helped 88 children attend 11 summer camps thanks to 109 donors, according to the Register. Sixteen of last year’s donors gave more than $250 each.

Contributions can also be mailed to:
The Register Fresh Air Fund
40 Sargent Drive
New Haven, CT 06511



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