ANGOLA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Summer camps throughout Western New York are getting back into full swing.
Cradle Beach in Angola is opening for the 137th summer, where children of all ages and abilities can learn and enjoy the summer together.
“Anyone can come to Cradle Beach and just be who they are and we welcome them with open arms,” said Stephanie Kearns, Director of Advancement and Development at Cradle Beach. “Cradle Beach is extremely unique; we offer overnight summer camp inclusively so children without disabilities, children with disabilities, children from all different walks of life and all backgrounds come to Cradle Beach, they play, they learn, they grow together.”
Kearns shared that Cradle Beach opened in 1888 originally as the “Fresh Air Mission,” where children who lived in the city would be able to get fresh air and be around nature. Now the grounds are open year-round with inclusive programs and camps.
During the summer, Cradle Beach offers overnight summer camps for children all over Western New York.
“It gives them the opportunity to get outside of their comfort zone, to get outside their neighborhoods and just meet kids from all over Western New York who are different from them, and I think they learn a lot in that case,” Kearns said. “I also think it’s important for kids to be outside, to be with nature — we see there’s healing and growth in nature.”
Zion Bates is working in his eighth year as a counselor, but it’s his 16th summer at the camp.
“As a child, it brought me something different, something I wasn’t seeing in the city, I got to see the stars when I came out here, I got to see compassion when I came out here, I got to be myself when I came out here,” said Bates. “When I came out to Cradle Beach, it was a home away from home.”
They have a variety of summer-filled fun activities for campers to enjoy including nature trails, the beach, theater, sports, swimming, and more. Cradle Beach’s mission is to be where children’s spirits soar.
“They’re learning in a fun and meaningful way that allows them to be outdoors and have some fun,” said Gabriele Clark, director of campus base services. “Summer is so important for the kids to be doing activities because they do have that educational decline just not being part of school, but also socially. They need to be with peers and interacting, and we’re inclusive so they can meet kids of all diversity.”
Cradle Beach says it offers scholarships and tuition assistance as needed, and it has a few spots left throughout the summer. For more information on how to sign up for enrollment, click here.
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Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
