07. Over 400 local youth participated in a weeklong summer camping experience
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Over 400 local youth participated in a week long summer camping experience
CINCINNATI, OH; July 25, 2016—Over 400 local youth participated in a week long summer camping experience filled with adventure, games, and learning. PNC Challenge Camp is a free summer camp aimed at helping youth, ages 8-14, to grow and learn while experiencing outdoor action and adventure. Conducted over 2 weeks each summer, Challenge Camp is intended to help serve all youth who might not normally be able to attend camp. By providing transportation, meals, and engaging activities, Challenge Camp has been gives local youth a chance explore the outdoors.
“Much has been written about the plight of the inner city youth and the struggles they face with respect to drugs, gangs and poverty,” said Al Beasley, a longtime Challenge Camp Mentor. “Challenge Camp is an open door to a different world where these young men get an opportunity to see and work with influential men and women. Many of these young men would often ask, ‘Do you think I could be like you when I grow up?’ A tear would often start to fall from my eye as I realized that without hope for a better future, what do these young men have? Challenge Camp gives them a chance to be around nature, dream and plan for a positive future by developing a positive self-image.”
The 550 acres of the Dan Beard Scout Reservation, including the 18-acre Marge Schott Lake, and the one-of-a-kind fort, castle, mountain man village, and miner’s camp at the Cub Scout Adventure World, is the location of Challenge Camp. This summer, the boys tried their hands at boating, fishing, swimming, cycling, and many other exciting outdoor programs.
For many of the campers, this is the first real contact with outdoor activities such as these. Volunteer mentors from Cincinnati’s Professional Leadership Network and local companies like PNC Bank help to guide and encourage the boys in their activities while an enthusiastic staff offer a rewarding program for the campers. Along the way, mentors help to mold and inspire the youth with the positive character traits and values taught in Scouting.
“It’s just so nice to see the incredible outdoor experiences that PNC Challenge Camp offers and the awesome memories these guys get to make,” said Ashton Wilson, the Scout Staff Advisor for the camp. “The inspiration of mentor role models creates such a great growth experience for these young men.”
The Dan Beard Council prepares more than 30,000 youth to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Scouting provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.
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About the Dan Beard Council
The Dan Beard Council prepares more than 33,000 youth to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Scouting provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. Please visit www.danbeard.org for more information.