Summer Camp at TheZone: The Culmination of All We Do
Varda Meyers Epstein
TheZone, our summer camp with two locations in the Catskills, is now in full swing. While we fund many programs for children and their families, this is the pinnacle of the work we do. It’s something we work toward, all year, and we get very excited when camp finally opens. The stories float around the office of children growing and maturing, trying new activities and making new friends. Photos and videos help make it real to us.
In some ways, it seems strange to us that everything we do with running our office, handling the phone lines, and of course, processing donations, comes down to sending kids to camp. Helping children grow and self-actualize and reach their fullest potential is our only goal. Watching it happen, then, is the best part of the year. And it’s why we do what we do.
When our CEO, Eli Mintz, started Kars4Kids, we were already providing mentoring and educational programs for children. But such programs cost money. Mintz thought to do something in house that would generate revenue to support these programs. Car donation turned out to be a good and successful solution, and we were able to step up our game and help even more children and families be the best they can be.
Here are some photos that illustrate and offer a taste of the fruits of our labor here at Kars4Kids and it is very sweet fruit, indeed:
Our counselors are encouraging, kind, and helpful. It makes a difference when a child needs a bit of building up or is taking on new challenges.Ooh, the excitement of getting that ball into the hoop. Healthy sports and competition are good for the body and the soul of everyone, not excluding our campers!Plenty of space to ride a bike to one’s heart’s content and no city traffic to worry about.Emotional growth comes with daring to take on new challenges.At camp you can be anyone you want to be. A kid who is shy all year long can come out of his shell and do a funny dance act on stage in front of hundreds of campers. Camp is a time to shine.Bonding over food? We think they were already fast camp friends. But some fun finger food and Dr. Pepper never hurts!Some very happy brothers. Why not? Summer camp at TheZone is the BEST time.Can you feel the excitement? A special experience we created for our campers is a wild success. You can see it on their faces.Basket! Success on the court makes for a more successful child, in our opinion. Way to build self-esteem, and a healthy body, too.We go to the nth degree to give our campers novel, exciting experiences. This will be a summer they will never forget.No words necessary. Happiness. It’s written all over his face.Every one of our campers is royalty to us, even when they aren’t wearing crowns. Look at them posing for the camera. You can see they’re having a blast.This is not something every kid gets to experience. But TheZone is like that, always looking for unforgettable, out-of-the-box activities.Up, up and away in a beautiful balloon. No doubt these campers never dreamed this could be.Water sports are always a fun time. We have our own lakes! So nice for city kids. Especially in the wide open, natural setting of our campgrounds.BFFs? It’s been known to happen, courtesy of a summer at TheZone.Coming out of your shell to perform on a stage is the kind of thing that happens away from home and school.Fun and friends. A good combination.Those joy-filled smiles are the real deal. Anyone can see they’re having a great time and making good friends, too.Sweet smiles, sweet friends, and water sports equal a really good time!Daring to ride the zipline for the first time–across a lake–was a challenge, but this youngster took the challenge, and was glad he did!
