Kick off celebration planned for June 3
With three weeks to go before JCC Summer Camp starts, registration is at an all-time high. So far, more than 525 children have registered for camp. Last year at this time, there were only 447 registered.
“The increase in registration is due to a great camp team that has worked hard all year to create a high quality camp program,” said Camp Director Julie Hollander. “Many in Louisville are starting to notice our camp and we have been fielding phone calls and emails all spring!”
JCC Summer Camp is also opening a week of pre- and post-camp for children who are already enrolled in regular camp. Pre-camp runs June 3-June 7, is open to children 20 months-rising 5th graders, and will have fun, age appropriate activities including sports, art and more. Children in K-5th grade will swim daily. Preschool Post-camp runs August 12-16 for children 3-4 years old. Kids in grades K-5 have several options for specialty camps including 4Kicks for Kids, Musical Theatre and Extreme Expedition with Bricks for Kidz. Registration is limited for these camps. More information can be found online at www.jcclouisvillecamp.org.
A camp kick-off party is also planned for Sunday, June 2 from 5-6:30 p.m. Summer campers and their families can enjoy fun at the pool and meet some of the counselors for camp. Free hot dogs or veggie burgers and drinks as well as camp t-shirts and carpool numbers will also be available.
All campers will have a summer full of fun and learning. In addition to sports, arts ‘n’ crafts and swimming, kids will also learn about tzedakah (charity). Camp will again be partnering with the JFCS food pantry by holding a weekly food drive. The community garden is already in bloom. Children will help tend the vegetables and when the harvest comes in, most of it will go to the pantry as well.
During Caring and Sharing Week, campers will swim, dance and do other activities to raise money for the food pantry and Pennies for Preemies, an organization that encourages children to help premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kosair Children’s Hospital.
Older campers will take their learning of tzedakah even further. Camp Tikkun Olam received a $1000 grant from the Jewish Teen Funders Network. Campers will give the money to local non-profits after reading through grant requests and going on site visits with the individual organizations.
A shlicha (trained emissary) from Israel named Dikla Alegra Levi will help children in Summer Camp and at the JCC learn about Israeli culture. Robert and Felice Sachs provided the funding to bring Levi to Louisville and Lior Yaron provided funding for supplies and special programming. Levi and Hollander met during a nine-day training seminar in Israel paid for by a JCC Association grant.
There is still room for more campers in several of the camps. Registration is completely on-line this year. A list of camps still available is online at www.jccoflouisvillecamp.org.
