Sun Camp Fund helped 800 LV kids

Saturday, Sept. 18, 1999 | 11:14 a.m.

Some of the children live in foster homes. Some are physically disabled. Some come from homes where food is scarce. Some have been abused or neglected.

These are the children that Las Vegas resident Charlotte Hill wanted to go to summer camp.

In 1969 Hill, a member of the Economic Opportunity Board, approached Sun founder and publisher Hank Greenspun about setting up a fund so that underprivileged children could go to summer camp.

She had begun the camp program in 1967, but the funds were scarce.

Greenspun agreed to help and asked Ruthe Deskin, assistant to the publisher, to meet with Hill.

The two patterned a program after the Los Angeles Times' camp fund, and in its first year -- 1970 -- 13 children were sent to camp.

This year because of community support more than 800 children were able to attend camp through the Las Vegas Sun Camp Fund.

Since 1970 the fund has sent thousands of children to camp, giving them an experience that normally they would not have had, Hill said.

"It's wonderful for them to get out of the area in which they live and get away from probably not the best environments," Hill said.

The children, ages 7 to 15, have traveled for weeklong trips to camps in Nevada, California and Arizona. Prior to their trips, many had not been outside the Las Vegas area.

Many children look forward to camp all year, even though it lasts only five days, Hill said.

The average camp tuition per child is $200 for a week.

To maintain the program, the Las Vegas Sun begins its camp-fund drive in May and ends it in August. Donations come from individuals, organizations, corporations and foundations. All of the proceeds go directly toward tuition. Contributions can also be mailed to the Sun year-round.

Camps this year included the Henderson Boys and Girls Club, the Las Vegas Boys and Girls Clubs, Frontier Girl Scout Council, Boulder Dam Area Council of the Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, St. Jude's Ranch for Children and Sertoma Youth Camp.

Donors include:

William LaTour; Mildred Delmont; Mr. and Mrs. Russ Wilcoxen; Sharon Coia; Loretta McDonough; Virginia and Valerie Pitts; Philippa Pointon; David and JoAnne Dreith; Linda B. MacMillan Smith; Annetta G. Davis; Thomas Meehan; Shirley Cowel; R.L. Cook; Robert Nicholls; Marty Teller; and Mike Rival.

Also, Lewis Harvey; Nikki Hartzell; Inez Salcido; Emma Jean Cordle; Marie and Nemorio Baltazar; J.M. Lowery; Ethel Shawe; Shirley Harvey; Louise Moss; Matthew J. Mohler; Riviera Employees Foundation; Frieda Gendloff; Beth Underland; Lori Starr; Kenneth Evans; Mary Lou Wash; Dr. and Mrs. Robert Bucklin; D.G. Bumstead Inc. doing business as Dagwood Sandwich Delights; Lynn and Ted Curtis; Diana Runyon; and Hanson.