YMCA moves 5 summer day camps to indoor locations to keep hundreds of kids safe during air quality threat
MINNETONKA, Minn. -- Dangerous air quality forced some summer camps to make some last-minute changes.
YMCA of the North asked all their summer day camps to move majority of their outdoor activities inside on Thursday. Five of their camp sites didn't have enough indoor room for everyone, so they moved those campers and staff to nearby YMCA branches.
Camp Christmas Tree in Mound moved 200+ kids, ages 4-14, to the Ridgedale YMCA for the day.
"I've kind of noticed that it's almost kind of harder to breathe," said Brynn Koehler, one of the campers.
Koehler and her camp friend, Kellyn McDonnell, are thankful the Y didn't cancel camp, but instead improvised.
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"The air outside is really bad, so it's better to be here doing something than just sitting at home," said McDonnell.
Communication to parents was key for Kit Swanson, the YMCA of the North's senior program director.
"We sent out phone calls, we sent out emails, and then we had people stationed at all our before and after care sites, and at the bus sites," said Swanson, "We are very used to making accommodations and doing what's best on the fly."
Kids rotated in groups between the gym and the pool, which didn't throw off the kids' normal activity schedule too much.
"At the Ridgedale Y, there's a lot more stuff to do here," said Brandon Wiener, a junior counselor at Camp Christmas, "After we explained it [to the campers], it's more like a normal camp day…just indoors."
These kids were just excited to still have fun, even if it's inside.
"I've been going to this camp for 7 years, I love this camp a lot, and they do a really good job keeping us safe," said Koehler.
Even with all the additional kids, the YMCA kept their locations open to members on Thursday.
