Posted by: thepinetree on 06/09/2010 07:49 PM
Updated by: thepinetree on 06/09/2010 11:28 PM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
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Copper Kids Camp brings 42 children the joy of summer camp with Boomerang Days~by Charity Maness
Copperopolis, CA....The Copperopolis Parks and Recreation began, five years ago, offering a kids day camp each summer to the local youth. The camp, being the brainchild of then chairperson Tim Reed, has become such a success that not only do the children return year after year for more fun and adventure, but the youth counselors continue to re-enlist for the opportunity to be part of the program....
This year’s program took on a new twist with the high school volunteer counselor’s organizing the whole week long event. They not only raised over $1000.00 doing car washes; they designed, created, and coordinated the camp. Their planning began in early January brainstorming ideas and thoughts. By April they were meeting twice a month and by May they hit full tilt with planning, preparations, and fund raising. Each year their fundraising efforts are helped along with a county donation from Supervisor Russ Thomas.
This years’ theme ‘Boomerang Days’ is a clever spin on the adventures of the Australian Outback with the kids broken up into groups of Kangaroos, Koalas, Emus, and Platypus. Their outback adventures included arts and crafts, scavenger hunt hikes learning the use of a compass and deciphering clues, archery and group games. Of course there was plenty of food and snacks, and a shaded first aid stand. At the end of the day each counselor had the opportunity to ‘tag’ a child with a ‘caught you being nice’ award. This is a big deal…a really big deal. Annalise proudly wore her ‘award’, a smiling monkey visor, with pride each day to camp.
Many of the volunteers have been with the program since its inception so many years ago, and one, a summer resident, has been volunteering his time for the past four years. When asked why they continued to volunteer in this particular venue each volunteer smiled a warm smile a relayed their thoughts:
Nikko, 3 years, “I love the kids.” “They’re so great.”
Frank, 3 years, “It’s a good feeling at the end of the day.”
Zack, 5 years, “I just like doing it.”
Danielle, 2 years, “It’s really fun to interact with the kids.” “It’s a fun way to spend the day with friends.”
Brooke, 1st year, “I really like the kids.”
And last but not least, Micki Garcia, 4 years, “When I first came to kids camp I was too old to participate and too young to volunteer. I couldn’t wait til the next year when I was old enough to volunteer.”
Copperopolis Parks and Recreation is a non profit dedicated to bringing fun and recreation to not only our youth but to the community at large. Throughout the summer they run ‘Movies in Park’ in Copperopolis Town square where families can gather together under a starlit sky, munch on popcorn, sip on sodas, and watch a fun family movie. They also coordinate the yearly clean up of Lake Tulloch and the town of Copperopolis creating a nicer place to visit and live.
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