From The Summer Camp Experience To Back School

Asbury Park

From The Summer Camp Experience To Back School

Snapshot Includes Asbury Park Community Drives To Support Youth

By Michelle Gladden

In between the end of summer camp and students returning to school, Asbury Park is readying for a few fundraisers being held to support city’s youth.

There are three fundraisers being held to support student’s back to school needs.

It begins tonight [Aug 16] with the Asbury Park Music Foundation’s Second Annual Back to School Drive. The event features a night of inspiring music, spoken word, and live art while collecting school supplies for local students and families in need, to be distributed by the KYDS Foundation.

Sponsored by Karma Cartel, Heather Hills, Grooves & Hip-Hop, Shortshot x Ewald, SOF, Icelyn, Adv3ntures, and Ashley Delima headline this 7 p.m. event being held at the Asbury Park Music Foundation, located at 621 Lake Avenue, Unit 1C. Tickets are $7; $5 with a back to school donation. For more information, click here.

Next up is the City of Asbury Park’s Annual Back to School Block Party, being held from noon to 4 pm Saturday at the Donald Hammary Courts on Prospect Avenue. Held in conjunction with the Asbury Park School District and the Charity Kings, back to school supplies are distributed and there are arts and crafts, face painting, and an array of other children activities featured.

On Sunday the popular Back to School Dunk Tank Fundraiser returns. Sponsored by the AP Toy Drive and Georgies, it’s an opportunity to watch notable locals get dunked while dropping off school supplies for the city’s children. The event runs from 3 to 7 p.m. at Georgies Bar, located at 812 Fifth Ave.

This year the Asbury Park School District summer camp, held in conjunction with the City’s Asbury Park Recreation Department, embraced a superhero theme.

The six week program was held at Bradley Elementary School on Third Avenue and Thurgood Marshall Elementary School on Monroe Avenue.

“he camp gives youth something fun to do during the summer, and it’s also educational,” Councilman Jesse Kendle said. “Not only is it a great benefit for the children of Asbury Park to attend as campers, keeping them busy, entertained and learning, it’s also a great summer job for older youth. This year we were able to hire more junior counselors than ever before. Some of our counselors have been attending this camp for over twenty years. It creates a sense of community.”

Students attended the School district’s Summer Enrichment program from 8 am to noon before participating in Recreation Department’s Summer Camp from noon to 5 p.m.

The district’s tailored Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, And Math [STEAAM] summer curriculum included a five week Conserve Wildlife Foundation Summer Learning Experience program that took students the beachfront to learn more about our the local wildlife and the effects of beach pollution.

The afternoon recreation program served approximately 270 children, resulting in the hiring of 13 Asbury Park teens to work as junior counselors, Recreation Director Leesha Floyd said.

Funded by the Mayor’s Rodeo for Recreation, this year’s program included an expansion of their field trip offerings, Floyd said.

Students visited Dave and Busters in Woodbridge, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJPAC, Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, Sahara Sams in West Berlin, Monster Mini Golf in Eatontown, Adventure Aquarium in Camden, and Sky Zone in Ocean Township.

Locally, the students visited the AP Boardwalk waterpark and beach, Hot Sands on Cookman Avenue and were treated to movies at the ShowRoom.

In the end, students were able to showcase what they learned during the summer camp programs during morning presentations at Thurgood Marshall and Bradley elementary schools.

In the afternoon, the Annual Mayor’s End of Summer Recognition returned at Springwood Avenue Park.

The day consisted of a barbecue, an array of children’s activities and performances from the day campers.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year,” Mayor John Moor. “We get to celebrate the program and see great performance from the students.”

And in related news, the annual summer camp lacrosse program’s bout between the faculty and the students went to the educators. Below is a snapshot of the game: