BLOG: While most of us are broiling, The Arc kids cool off at Graham Aquatic Center
The past week or so has prompted some of us to remember back to February's snow storm, thinking that somehow we had it all wrong. Maybe winter is better, summer is just drudgery, with both the season and us plugging along, dreaming of cooler times.
Fortunately, there are paths, temporary as they may be, that take us away from the heat. It's been a little hotter than usual lately, with temperatures averaging about 91 according to one source, when average temps are 87. So, we head for the pools, creeks, lakes, rivers. A garden hose works too.
The York YMCA's Graham Aquatic Center has been busy this summer with various youth summer camps crowding the water when the gates open at 11a.m. The fun continues until 7 p.m.
The Arc of York County's Camp Pennwood hits the water twice a week. The Arc is 'for people with intellectual and other disabilities and their families.'
From The Arc's website--
Since 1962, The Arc of York County's Camp Pennwood has been providing a wide range of summer camp activities, such as swimming, arts and crafts, music, sports, games, and horseback riding. Camp Pennwood is a one-of-a-kind program whose goals and objectives include:
- To provide age-appropriate programs for children and teens, emphasizing personal, socialization, and recreational skills that can be carried over into daily lives;
- To provide maximum physical and mental stimulation during the summer months, thereby minimizing regression in skills;
- To provide family members with a valuable respite service, as well as a developmental experience for individuals with disabilities;
- To provide campers with disabilities contact with non-disabled volunteer peers, as well as providing staff and volunteers with in-service training, and;
- To offer a variety of camp components each session, including indoor and outdoor recreation, self-care instruction, arts and crafts, and music.