Community Spirit Results in Kids Fall Camps, Programs

By MADDY VITALE The Ocean City community is joining together to offer youth camps and programs this fall to schoolchildren and their families during the coronavirus pandemic. Camps will run Monday through Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per week. All programs will begin on Sept. 14 and end Oct. 30. The camps are a result of the city’s Community Services Department, the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Ocean City school district and OCNJ CARES, a nonprofit organization assisting families during the pandemic. “Families are so important right now, and this is an opportunity for us to help them out,” Mayor Jay Gillian said Wednesday. “We're all worried about getting sick, but mental health is just as important. Our Community Services Department has always been about community.” Programs include the following:

• Performing Arts Camps (at Ocean City Music Pier, for students in grades 2 to 8): Participants will enjoy a fun-filled experience with a focus on theater arts, dance, and music. Each week will consist of activities including acting games, Broadway choreography, music appreciation and even some educational time for kids to work on schoolwork or read on their own. Participants will gain an appreciation for the performing arts while having fun and making new friends.
• Sports and Fitness Camps (at various locations, for students in grades 2 to 8): An after-school program in which your child will participate in a variety of games, projects, and weekly specials, as well as study/reading time.

Director of Community Services Daniel Kelchner said the camps to be offered and programs showcase the power of collaboration in the close-knit community. “All of these entities are coming together to help these kids and families during this challenging time,” Kelchner explained. “We saw a need in the community, and we are fortunate that we can offer these programs to families.” The Recreation Department programs will be available to Ocean City Primary School and Ocean City Intermediate School students at locations throughout the city. Drew Fasy, chairman of OCNJ CARES, said that the shift in focus for the organization changed due to the coronavirus. Ocean City schools reopen for students Sept. 8 with a hybrid learning model, which means there will be in-person instruction for students twice a week and virtual learning three days per week. There is also a Virtual Academy for those children who will not be attending in the fall. The result is more time away from the traditional classroom setting. The summer camps prior to COVID-19, like the one shown here, allowed kids to interact with their peers and exercise. “Our goal is to support the school district. Everyone is involved with this – the parents, the students, the support staff, the teachers. We want to help keep the kids engaged so that we don’t run into the spiraling mental health quagmire that we did in the spring,” Fasy pointed out. “The school is really the heartbeat of the community. We want to support the kids and the families.” Chamber of Commerce President David Allegretto echoed Fasy’s sentiments. “This program brings a little bit of normalcy to the kids’ lives, which is so important and it is a great example of what the school, city and business community working together for the benefit of not only the kids but the community can do,” he said. City officials held a meeting Aug. 24 to go over the details. Allegretto said that the city’s summer camps were so successful that they were able to use them as a model for the fall program. And it also helps the business owners who have suffered financial losses through COVID-19 and the shutdown, he said. “The business community can offer some space. It is a win-win for all. They can make up lost revenue due to COVID and also be a help to the kids and the schools because the kids will have more interaction with their peers.” In addition to the fall programs, Ocean City’s regular schedule of recreation activities provides further opportunities for local families: Cross Country: Grades: 4 to 8 Time: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Days: Tuesday and Thursday Date: September 15 to October 29 Location: Richard S. Grimes Field (behind the Primary School) Cost: $30 Basketball: Grades: 3 to 8 Time: 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Days: Girls – Mon./Wed.; Boys – Tues./Thurs. Date: September 21 to October 29 Location: 18th Street and Haven Avenue Cost: $40 Field Hockey Games: Grades: 6 to 8 Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Grades: 3 to 5 Time: 11 a.m. to noon Days: Sunday Date: September 13 to November 1 Location: Carey Stadium Cost: $40 Soccer: Grades: K to 8 Time: 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Days: Saturday Date: September 12th to October 31 Location: Richard S. Grimes Field (behind the Primary School) Cost: $30 Registration is available online. Visit www.ocnj.us/recreation and click on “Register Now! Community Pass Registration.” For additional information, call the Recreation Department at 609-525-9304.