June Update

It's summertime! And summertime brings the long awaited summer fun. One, two, three, four, summer camps galore...

An additional twenty scholarships were given during the month of June to children who live in the East Smithfield community to attend one of five summer camps. Four of the camps had the same start date; SRAC, Morgan's Gymnastics, Neuse Little Theatre's Summer Drama Program, and AIM, As you can see, we were extremely busy in the month of June.

June 12 was the start date of the 2017 SRAC Summer Camp. Eleven children were awarded scholarships to attend two weeks of summer camp. Six children began on June 12 and the remaining five attended two weeks later. Summer camp hours were from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. That's a full day of fun that included pool time!

Morgan's Gymnastics' Summer Camp 2017 began June 12 at 7:30 a.m. Two children attended two weeks of camp. Children enjoyed gymnastics, crafts, outdoor activities and more. This fun-filled day ended at 5:30 p.m. Now that's a long day of fun!

The two young ladies in the above photo attended the Neuse Little Theatre"s Drama Program. Boy, what a treat. Two weeks of rehearsals produced a standing ovation for the production of Aladdin Jr. held at the Neuse Little Theatre on June 23, and two more performances on June 24. Our scholarship recipients played major roles in this production and one has decided that she now knows what she wants to do when she grows up. Our motto, Opening Doors to Enrich Young Lives, was realized during this summer camp. This is our mission.

Leaps and Turns Technique! is the name of the Artistry In Motion 2017 Summer Camp attended by two of our scholarship recipients. Two weeks of dance instruction from 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. was an extension of skills taught for one of the children who had previously received private gymnastics lessons. This was a new experience that was enjoyed and interest was sparked for future lessons.

Kidz @ Play summer camp, sponsored by Smithfield Parks and Recreation was held in Smith Collins Park and began the week of June 19. Eight scholarships were given to attend this camp. Children enjoyed learning and playing a variety of sports that included tennis taught by Coach James Reid. A few children were noted by Coach Reid as having the potential to pursue this sport. Could there be a future tennis star in the East Smithfield Community?

There were a few sports camps in the month of June sponsored by Smithfield Parks and Recreation that scholarship recipients participated in. One basketball, 2 football, and 8 tennis scholarships were presented to children in the East Smithfield Community. One scholarship was extended for gymnastics and one for private piano lessons.

Well, that's what happened in June. We are very excited and grateful for what we were able to accomplish with the generous donations that we received. Your help makes it possible for our children to have opportunities to learn and play during the summer months and beyond.

Thank you for your continued support! Check out the photos on the Gallery page.