Each year, Burbank Coordinating Council (BCC) sends as many local kids as their funds support to day or sleep-away camps in the Southern California area. BCC is now accepting applications from local students for the summer Campership program.
BCC is also in need of major financial contributions to support the Campership program. Currently, they are running Coins For Camperships, placing specific bottles to collect donated coins in local schools and city council and city hall offices.
Janet Diel, BCC President, asks the community’s churches, offices and businesses to help the Campership program and place collection bottles in their venues. BCC can also take straight donations via Paypal online or by check.
“The more money we get, the more campers we can send,” commented Diel, who expects a rise in applications this year, to several hundred in total. BCC has received 100 to 200 applications in past years.
Younger kids are sent to a day camp for week, at local places such as Golden State Gymnastics, Summer Daze through the Burbank Recreation Department and the YMCA Day Camps.
Older kids may be sent to sleep-away camps such as Camp Gilmore, Forest Home or Youth Works.
“These are amazing experiences for these children,” said Diel. “People come back to us years later and say I don’t know where I would have ended up without that camp experience. It saves kids.”
“Camp is an investment in our children’s future,” she added. “They build self-confidence and leadership and a sense of normalcy many of these children don’t have at home.”
Applications are sent home to all students at the Title 1 elementary schools in Burbank Unified School District. Applications are also available in the offices of the middle and high schools in the district and online.
The deadline for applications is April 10 and Diel says the Camperships are awarded on a first come, first served basis.
Diel also mentions that businesses and organizations can contact her to sponsor an individual Campership for $200 to cover the cost for one week at a day camp or $500 to fund one week at a sleep-away camp. She can be reached via email at jrdiel@aol.com.
