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Website

www.campbernieymca.org

So you’re going to improve your local playground. What’s your great idea?

The Ridgewood YMCA's Camp Bernie branch in Port Murray, NJ, desperately needs a playground. Camp Bernie sites on 275 acres of fields and forests, and offers campers opportunities for well-rounded social, emotional, and physical development. The current programming includes outdoor, sports, and "play" activities (rock wall, canoeing, archery) that emphasize character development and healthy lifestyles. The activities at Camp Bernie are well suited for older youth and adults. I would like to build a playground for children 5-12 years of age that mimic the activities for younger children that is also eco-friendly so that they can experience the beauty of being in nature and being physically active in a fun and safe environment.

Which local nonprofit, school, or park district will you work with, and how will you work with them to choose a playground for the project?

Camp Bernie has a space chosen for the playground (see media image), and since it’s owned by the Ridgewood YMCA, all that would be necessary to do is obtain permitting.

How will you involve local volunteers in the playground project?

Local volunteers will be recruited from the school where Camp Bernie runs the after-school program; current and past campers and counselors; and the staff and Board of Directors of the Ridgewood YMCA would all be involved in the project.

Tell us about the kids that will be using the playground.

Besides being a non-profit year-round accredited camping facility that focus on healthy lifestyle and environmental education, serving over 8,000 people annually, Camp Bernie offers day and summer camp to over 600 children each year. In 2011, Camp Bernie offered 33 children in need camp scholarships through the Y Cares financial assistance program. Camp Bernie is a very special place, and serves the entire State of New Jersey.

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