Montgomery County camp works to make summer season affordable for families
HORSHAM, Pa. (CBS) -- College Settlement Camp works to make camp affordable for as many families as possible ahead of summer camp season.
From a chaotic game of tag to filing in for lunchtime, fifth graders from MaST Tacony Charter School are fueled up Tuesday for three days and nights of fun at the College Settlement Camp, part of the Pennypack Farm campus in Horsham.
"It's amazing," said Principal Kirsten Hurley. "Most of these kids have never been to any type of camp."
She added many of the 71 students at the camp needed a little help getting there this week.
"If the camp didn't provide scholarships, a lot of our kids wouldn't be able to afford, but we had about 80% participation in our fifth-grade class, which is great," Hurley said.
Games and animal lessons for kids are funded by local donors and volunteers. Camp Director Karyn Bonner said those fundraisers put this camp within reach for many families.
"Kids can come for as little as a hundred bucks," Bonner said. "Compare that with $500, $600, $700, $800 from other camps, and you understand why this is a special place."
Another special place was where the goats live and where kids could walk right up and pet them.
"Their fur is kind of like straw-y," said fifth-grader Madeline Furtek, who also said this week will be unforgettable. "I feel like there's never going to be a chance where you can go into a farm, and you get to pet the goats and donkeys and stuff."
Registration for affordable summer camp experiences is open now.