Support SCOPE Midwest
BY PAUL HAACK Banner Day Camp, camp director
Editor: Tammy Matthews | Cover/Page Design: Jennifer Williams
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All children, regardless of socioeconomic status, deserve the opportunity to experience the joy and growing experiences of summer camp. The physical, social and emotional benefits that children gain from a summer spent at a well-run, accredited camp foster skills and character for a lifetime. SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Provide an Edge) Midwest is a charitable organization that provides local economically disadvantaged children the opportunity to attend nonprofit summer camps.
SCOPE Midwest will be holding two local fundraisers to help reach its goal of sending 350 deserving children to camp. The 5th Annual Spring Benefit will be held on April 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Westin North Shore in Wheeling. The evening includes cocktails, dinner, dancing and a silent auction.
SCOPE Midwest is also proud to announce is first family-friendly community event, Amazing Raise 4 Campers, on Aug. 26 at Banner Day Camp in Lake Forest. Come enjoy fun camp activities including: bungee trampolines, pools, dune buggies, bumper boats, arts and crafts and more. Families are also invited to participate in the Amazing Raise and complete team challenges to help raise money for the SCOPE campers.
Funds raised at SCOPE events and through donations are used to award free camperships to children who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend camp. Since 1991, SCOPE has awarded more than 15,000 camperships to underserved children. Private camp directors on the east coast who shared a deep belief in the educational and developmental benefits of summer camp founded SCOPE in 1991. They recognized a need to ensure equal camping opportunities to all children, regardless of their socio-economic background.
In 2007, SCOPE partnered with camp directors from Illinois and Wisconsin to launch the affiliate organization SCOPE Midwest. Supporting SCOPE-Midwest ensures that even more deserving children from the Chicagoland and Midwest area can escape to overnight camp and enjoy a safe place to play, learn, laugh and grow. The SCOPE partnership is continuing to expand and a kick-off event for SCOPE Southeast will be held in March in Florida.
Giving children the gift of camp provides the building blocks for success. Research supports camp’s positive impact on social and intellectual growth and academic performance. According to the SCOPE website, “Through SCOPE children escape from the urban setting to secure environments which foster positive self-esteem, strong self-confidence and appropriate social skills. SCOPE affords these children the opportunity to leave the boredom, pollution and potential dangers of a cite summer and instead experience a supervised, caring community surrounded by positive adult role models. SCOPE gives inner-city children the opportunity to have a challenging and constructive summer.”
Children thrive in the secure setting of camp. As they build friendships, enjoy the outdoors and embrace new adventures, they become stronger, healthier individuals. Many inner-city children who would benefit most greatly from camp never have the opportunity to attend due to financial constraints. When you help a child make their dream of summer camp a reality, you give them a gift that lasts a lifetime.
From more information on SCOPE Midwest visit www.scope-midwest.org.
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