EDWARDSVILLE - The sounds of campers laughing and playing echoes through the Edwardsville YMCA, while it may sound like extra noise to patrons and employees those voices are missed once the school year begins. That sound was created by an average of 500 campers weekly and nearly 800 children over the course of the summer.
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The theme of this year’s Summer Camp was “A Summer To Grow Together”. Grow is just what they did. These record numbers made 2015 the most successful summer in a long history of providing care at the Y.
“We really love having the children in the building all summer long. Throughout the years we get to see kids who started out in Kindergarten grow up to be Teen Campers. This longevity has helped us have the most successful year in our history. We are very proud of our Summer Day Camp Program and the participation levels that are the biggest in the area. We build relationships with the campers and their families and see them at the Y all year long,” said Tom Verheyen, Meyer Center Branch Director.
The children’s days were filled with activities throughout the Meyer Center. They were able to swim, roller skate, play in the gymnastics room, climb the rock wall, and play a range of sports including: kickball, soccer, basketball, wiffleball, dodgeball and many, many more. They were able to read, engage in card and board games while also interacting with their peers. Over the course of the summer, campers were able to make new friends while learning the important values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
While the campers daily activities kept them active, they were also able to go on field trips every Friday all over the Greater St. Louis area. Trips included the Zoo, City Museum, Magic House, Splash City, Wood River Aquatics, Edison’s, The Edge Laser Tag, Science Center and SIUE Bowling. In addition to these trips the campers were treated to water day, with a special appearance by one the Edwardsville Fire
Department’s trucks, the Funny Farm (presented by the Wyman Center) with animals including lizards, snakes, guinea pigs, a pig and a goat and the YMCA Olympics where they go through several stations and end the day with a balloon pop and mummy wrap. “I’m a little biased in saying this, but I don’t know of any other facility or organization in the Metro East area that can offer the range of activities and opportunities that our summer camp can present here at the Meyer Center. The Edwardsville YMCA was certainly the place to grow this summer,” stated Chris Schomber, Summer Camp Director.
Variety is something in which the Edwardsville YMCA takes pride. In addition to the Summer Camp program the YMCA offered over 110 different specialty camps throughout the summer. Around 2,100 kids participated in the various educational programs learning languages, art, math and science while also having the opportunity to play sports. Kids had fun doing something they love, learning and discovering new things.
As this year’s summer camp comes to a close Schomber is already looking forward to making 2016 even more successful.
“We have been planning improvements for Summer Camp 2016 since the first day of Summer Camp 2015. Our leadership team is always looking to provide the kids with even better events, activities, field trips, food service options and even a faster drop off experience for parents. We have a slogan for Activity Day Camp (our school aged child care option for breaks during the school year).
"‘No Worries’. We want the parents to come in, drop off their kids, and get on with their day knowing their kids are safe, entertained and well taken care of. We want that experience duplicated every day during the summer as well as the school year.”
