Dear friends, families and supporters,

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It’s interesting to look back on 2019 from this very different vantage point. Every Summer I try to stress to our Club and Camp Counselors the importance of their work.  “For many of our kids, the experience you give this summer IS their summer. Their childhood is now.” So, we look back fondly on 2019. We remember the chaos and laughter. We remember bugs and dirt, hugs and sunburns. We look back on 2019 with programs filled to overflowing. Our kids were the only thing growing faster than the stock market.

I have to applaud our staff who have built relationships strong enough to withstand “social distancing.” Club Announcements continue daily at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. via Zoom. Important programming like LifeSkills, Project Alert, and our support of Counseling Counts continues virtually. Bigs meet their Littles on-screen. In a world that changes daily for adults, kids can feel it has come to a grinding halt. A friendly face and reminder of caring matters more than ever.

I need to tell you that our incredible staff brought me countless ideas about how to serve kids.  They brought very few questions about their own paycheck.

Here on this date in late April, our memories of 2019 are more than nostalgia. Our thoughts and plans are now turning to what will be again. Summer will likely be less messy than most as we build an increasingly safe environment for our kids and prepare to support greater numbers of families as they return to work.

This physical distancing can, at times, bring us closer together. As we look back on a great year, we can move forward with confidence, remembering our strengths and the support of our community. At the end of the day, none of this could have been possible, without that support. Thank you for caring about kids.

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Chuck Kime

Executive Director