Camp fund for Children’s Aid kids $30,000 short

‘Time is of the essence,’ agency says, to help 350 get a summer experience

With the end of school days away, $30,000 needs to be raised to send children with the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society to camp. The shortfall doesn’t mean 350 kids won’t get to go to camp, but it could mean some spend less time at camp this summer if more money can’t be raised soon, Mike Clark, the society’s manager of public relations and fund development, said Tuesday.

“Our goal is to send all the chil- dren that we can that have applications to camp, to be able to have a summer experience that sort of gives them the same type of experience that any other child would have,” Clark said. “Otherwise, they really wouldn’t have a summer vacation.”

The Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Foundation raises money for the “Fresh Air” Summer Camp Program. The foundation had previously received a $25,000 corporate grant but learned recently that money wasn’t coming, he said. The foundation still receives funding from that “good” corporate donor, so Clark didn’t want to single out that donor.

The other reason is, like the Christmas campaign, people tend not to donate until Christmas is close, or in this case when summer camps are about to start. People are more generous at Christmas, but Clark said the camp program, which has been running for decades, has probably never run this short in June. There are 350 children the society would like to send to camp. That’s more than last year and donations are coming in slowly this year, he said. “Time is more of the essence because we’re getting near the end of the school year, summer is coming and we’re making arrangements for children to go to these camps,” Clark said. “We’re trying to see really what we have to work with.” Clark said the foundation may have to consider cutting money from another program. “We will still aim to see that every child gets a summer experience.”

The cost to send a child to camp is about $300, he said. The foundation raises about $50,000 to cover about half of that cost and then uses its funds to cover the rest. That means the foundation needs $70,000 to $100,000 for the camp program this year. So far, about $20,000 of the $50,000 camp fundraising goal has been raised. Last year it cost about $70,000 to send 280 children to day, recreational or overnight camps, Clark said. Overall, the foundation raises almost $639,000 a year to help fund various programs. It’s in the midst of its campaign called You Can Write a Child’s Story. With that money the foundation funds bursaries and a bunch of programs such as back-to-school backpacks, a music and arts program, holiday dinners and holiday gift programs. The summer camp program tries to match the interests of children connected with the society to camps run in the area. Camp builds self esteem and friendships, Clark said.

“This is for them the only type of summer vacation they would have or the only time they can let loose and be a kid.”

To donate go online at www.wecaf.on.ca or call 519-252-1171 ext. 3360.

DAN JANISSE Mike Clark of the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Foundation is making a pitch for donations after the loss of a corporate grant this year left a shortfall in its summer camp funding.