SCOPE Midwest event hosts over 320 local supporter

Annual Benefit Raises Camp Scholarships For Children In Need

May 4, 2015, Glencoe, IL – SCOPE Midwest, Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education, held its Annual Benefit Dinner “All You Need is Camp” on Friday, April 24th at Viper Alley in Lincolnshire, IL.

The event was co-chaired by Dayna Hardin (Glencoe resident) and Dana Kite (Highland Park resident) who are the directors at Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods Camps. Other committee members included local camp owners/directors from Camp Marimeta, Tamarak Day Camp, Camp Birch Trail, Finish Strong Athletics and Camp Ojibwa.


Committee members Traci Capp, Tracey Sachs, Dayna Hardin and Dana Kite |
Photo courtesy of Spot My Photo

The event raised over $130,000 to help send low-income, Chicago area public school children to not-for-profit overnight camps throughout the Midwest this summer.

“Camp is one of the greatest gifts of childhood, providing youth and teens with a foundation for life and the opportunity to further develop skills that they will need to succeed in the 21st century”. We are fortunate to have supporters who share our passion and belief that every child, regardless of their socio-economic background, deserves a quality summer camp experience. Since 2007, we have provided funding to over 1300 children and will continue to open the door to summer camp for as many youth as possible,” says SCOPE Midwest Board Chair, Dayna Hardin.

Over 320 guests attended the event that featured cocktails, dinner, live music by Robbie Gold, and silent auction. Dennis Rosen, Owner/Director of Camp Ojibwa and Highland Park resident, was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to youth and the summer camp profession. Also honored at the dinner was Mawi Asgedom, recipient of the Advocate for Youth Award, presented annually at the dinner. Oprah Winfrey called her television interview with Mawi “one of her top twenty moments”.

SCOPE Midwest believes summer camp is part of the year-round education continuum, supplementing academic curriculum through active learning. Children living in poverty experience 2.5 years of summer learning loss by third grade compared with their middle to upper class peers. With funds raised from events and individual contributions throughout the year, they can help bridge the education gap in the Chicagoland area by affording more children in need with the documented benefits of high quality summer camp experiences.

About SCOPE:

SCOPE’s mission is to provide children in need the edge to succeed in life through the summer camp experience. This is accomplished by funding camp scholarships at nonprofit, resident camps where children will benefit from a positive, safe and healthy environment led by excellent adult role models, who will help them develop their full potential. The national organization, founded in 1991, has provided camp scholarships for more than 25,000 children from low-income communities in the New York metropolitan area, the Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S. Each year, hundreds of children receive the benefits of summer camp through SCOPE from funds raised from foundation and corporate partners, individual gifts and fundraising events.

Dayna Hardin is the director and owner of Lake of the Woods Camp, an outdoor recreation facility that teaches young campers the value of friendship, concern for others, self-reliance, courage, and discipline. Visit this website to know more about the camp’s services.

Happy, healthy campers: Meeting children's need for physical activity through summer camps

Children in the United States are among those most vulnerable to childhood obesity and its associated diseases. Parents should cultivating an interest in physical activity early on in their children's lives to prevent the malaise that affects childhood and beyond.

Image Source: teddybearclub.org

Summer camps offer some of the best ways to introduce children and adolescents to physically engaging outdoor activities. Summer camps and their activities can help fill the void of required physical activity that children lack during the summer months when they are off school. Research shows that by attending summer camps, children meet their daily recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Image Source: nytimes.com

Summer camps are most effective in keeping children and teens active when they encourage group activities between friends and when they provide a host of amenities such as swimming areas and trails. The approach to each activity is also important; while friendly competition is very engaging, it is just as important to encourage as many campers to participate as it is to get them motivated to win.
Variety is also important. Each child has different preferences and may want to experiment with new activities. Camps with a wide array of programs and activities can keep a camper active by providing them with an assortment of new things to try.

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The owner and director of Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods family of camps, Dayna Hardin is a well-known figure in the industry and serves as the vice president of the American Camp Association's national board. Visit this website for more updates on her camps and its programs.