Police, YMCA provide kids with week of fun

A successful partnership between the B.R. Ryall YMCA of Northwestern DuPage County and the City of West Chicago Police Department's Neighborhood Resource Centers resulted in over 100 West Chicago children enjoying a weeklong adventure of fun with friends.

The successful pilot program served children from the Town & Country, Main Park and Riverwoods Apartments, bringing them to Pioneer Park for baseball, soccer, football and water park fun. Plus, the children enjoyed daily outings which took them to such exciting destinations as Chicago's Brookfield Zoo and Museum of Science and Industry, and Centenniel Beach in Naperville. The final day of Camp Hope was spent at a cook-out at the Town and Country Apartment complex.

B. R. Ryall Camps strive to put Christian principles into practice by building healthy spirits, minds and bodies. Its philosophy is that children and teens need a safe environment to develop new skills, meet new people and maximize their abilities and views its role as one that provides them with these opportunities and helps them grow as individuals within the community. Additionally, the Camp provides reassurance for parents to know that their kids are in an environment that is safe and promotes respect, responsibility, caring and honesty, which are the Y's core values.

The goal for Camp Hope is to increase service by providing such programs during future winter, spring and summer school breaks. For more information, contact LuLu Holguin at (630) 918-6105.