Children look over some of the items donated by Greeks4Kids. COURTESY PHOTO
The kids of the Boys & Girl Club of Santa Barbara were showered with gifts after a visit from the nonprofit Greeks4Kids Thursday.
Greeks4Kids, a program dedicated to helping children in need of books, toys, supplies and friendship to remedy both educational and health challenges, reached out to the Boys & Girls Club to secure a “wish list” for the club’s summer camp, according to a Greeks4Kids news release.
“Greeks4Kids ordered every single thing on that list! Spending over $4,000.00 on games, iPads, Bluetooth speakers, art and school supplies, sports equipment, pop up tents and much more,” Boys & Girls Club spokesperson Harmony Agh said in a press release.
Fifteen to 20 UCSB students showed up with two carloads of donations. Parker Taylor, the director of the program, and his team delivered everything and stayed and played for most of the afternoon with the more than 170 kids attending the camp.
“I felt like crying, to receive such a generous donation was incredible, It is going to make summer even more amazing for these kids” Program Director Katelyn Kirchner said.
The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara opened the first week of Summer Spectacular Camp on June 3. With the help of grants from local foundations, businesses and private donations, summer camp fees are only $25 per week. Although camp is only $5 a day, scholarships are also offered, based on income.
The camp starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 5:30 p.m. with a full day of activities, sports, field trips and more. The club provides breakfast, lunch and a visit from the Santa Barbara Unified School District Mobile Cafe supper program.
This week campers got to swim at Santa Barbara High School, attend the movies and take an exclusive backstage tour of the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport. Next week there a three-day camping trip to El Capitan Canyon will be held. Kids also have full access to an art workshop, library, computer lab, gym, and music recording studio.
Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara camps and programs rely on individual donors and volunteers in the community. Anyone interested in donating or volunteering can visit www.boysgirls.org or call 805-962-2382.
