Newark Valley Joint Summer Recreation Program thanks community for donations
Floyd Hooker Foundation grant helped children learn to swim

August 2, 2011
 
Now, all of the children who attend the Newark Valley Joint Summer Recreation Program can learn how to swim this year, thanks to generous grants and donations from the Floyd Hooker Foundation, Blessed Trinity Parish and community members.

 “I am thankful to be able to provide swimming lessons to the children of our community,” said Jacia Donnelly, camp director. “Now, every child that goes near the water has had free swim lessons and water safety instruction.”
 
The Newark Valley Joint Summer Recreation Program provides free summer enrichment activities to school-age children in the communities of Newark Valley, Berkshire, and Richford.
The Floyd Hooker Foundation, part of the Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers, provided a generous grant of $1000. This money was used to hire an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor to provide swimming and water safety instruction to all children attending the summer day camp.
 
Before being able to offer the swim lessons, Donnelly said she first obtained a permit through the New York State Health Department to operate a day camp, and then became life guard and water safety instructor certified. Next, a camp employee was mentored to undergo the training as well. Finally, waterfront access and lifeguards were obtained for the program.
 
Still, after three years of work, free swimming lessons were only available to about half of the children who signed up for camp, Donnelly said, due largely to the lack of adequate instructors.
 
“I realized that many of the campers I was exposing to water were not strong swimmers,” the camp director said.
 
This year Donnelly applied for, and received, a grant through the Floyd Hooker Foundation.  The money was used to bring on another American Red Cross instructor, who provided swimming lessons free of charge to campers. There is no charge for the recreation program, which is operated by the Joint Youth Board and donations from campers’ parents.
 
This year, all children who wanted lessons were able to attend instruction and can receive completion cards from the American Red Cross. The program will offer the same services next year.
 
“It’s thanks to donations from organizations like the Floyd Hooker Foundation that we were able to offer this valuable program to the children of our community,” Donnelly said. Space was provided, free of charge, by the Newark Valley School District and Greenwood Park provided free access for learn-to-swim lessons and for free swim time for the children.
 
In addition to the swimming activities, the Joint Recreation Program provides arts and crafts, games, field trips and other recreational opportunities for school-age children in the communities of Newark Valley, Berkshire and Richford during four weeks of the summer. This year’s program concluded on August 4th. The program generally begins in the first week of July. For more information on the program, please contact Jacia Donnelly at (719) 661-4250.