Sun Camp Fund helps those in need

Kris Hill

Friday, May 18, 2001 | 4:16 a.m.

Applications Camp fund applications can be picked up at these locations: Las Vegas

Cox Communications, 121 S. Martin Luther King Blvd.; East Charleston Area Service Center, 4546 E. Charleston Blvd.; Academic Support and Community Services Center, 926 W. Owens Ave., Suite 926; United Way, 1660 E. Flamingo Road; and at the following Family Resource Centers: A.D. Guy, 817 N. N St.; Cambridge, 3827 S. Maryland Parkway; Clark, 4291 Pennwood Ave.; Eastside, 545 Marion Ave.;Family Link, 3900 Perry St.; Greater Las Vegas Center, 1200 N. Eastern; Heart of the City, 580 E. St. Louis; McCabe, 2801 E. Stewart Ave.; Stupak, 300 W. Boston Ave.; University Methodist, 4412 S. Maryland Parkway; and Variety 990 D St.

Henderson

Southeast Area Service Center, 12 Commerce Center Drive, Suite D, and HACA, 145 Panama St.

North Las Vegas

Hidden Canyon Area Service Center, 3925 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., Suite 12; Metropolitan Family Resource Center, 2200 E. Cheyenne Ave.; and North Las Vegas Family Resource Center, 2530 E. Carey Ave.

Every summer thousands of children spend a week or two at camp shooting bows and arrows, swimming, making pottery for their parents and generally having fun while experiencing new things.

But not every family can afford to send their children to camp. Those families do have help. Since 1967 the Sun Camp Fund has sent youngsters to summer camp who may not have otherwise had the opportunity.

In 1967 Hank Greenspun, founder, editor and publisher of the Sun, was approached by Charlotte Hill, a member of the Economic Opportunity Board, to help send youngsters to camp after her agency ran out of money for that purpose.

Ruthe Deskin, assistant to the publisher, worked with Hill to develop the camp fund, which was patterned after a Los Angeles Times program.

All of the money collected by the Sun goes toward camperships, and all administrative costs are absorbed by the newspaper.

In the camp fund's first year in 1970, about 13 children were sent to summer camp. In 1999 more than 900 children went on Sun Camp Fund camperships.

Children ages 7 to 15 who are economically disadvantaged or physically or mentally challenged are eligible for camperships. Parents of eligible youth submit applications to the fund's board.