Newtown Family Offers Fresh Air And Fun

By Laurie Borst

On a hot August afternoon, Davonte Harriston and Quinn and Hannah Fitzgerald splashed in the pool while Lily, a 10-month-old German short-haired pointer, raced around the yard. Robin Fitzgerald smiled as she watched the frenetic scene.

“This is Davonte’s second year with us,” Mrs Fitzgerald explained. The Fitzgeralds, Robin, Kevin and the children, have been hosting Fresh Air kids for the past three years. The first year, a 6-year-old girl spent two weeks with the family. The second year they opened their home, Davonte was their guest.

Throughout the ensuing year, Quinn and Davonte phoned each other. As summer rolled around, the Fitzgeralds invited Davonte back for a second summer with them and Davonte eagerly accepted.

“They were so nice to me,” Davonte said. “We went to some really fun places.”

Last year, when Davonte arrived, the first stop was the Ice Cream Shop, “a good ice breaker,” Mrs Fitzgerald said.

Davonte, aged 9, and Quinn, aged 7, have become fast friends. They have many things in common; both like riding bikes, swimming, and playing battle games on the computer. They like the same television shows, especially on the Disney and Nickelodeon networks.

Both boys like James Bond movies, which gave them the idea to spy on 10-year-old Hannah.

Hannah said, “It’s scary having an ‘extra’ brother around.”

But watching the children cavort in the pool, it was obvious that all three get along well. The trio has been busy trying to solve mysteries. When they get up in the morning, they have found questions and messages written in chalk on the driveway. They write back, answering questions or asking their own. So far, they have not deduced the writer’s identity.

The family has spent some time at Fairfield Hills, riding bikes on the trails. They have visited Fun Space at Dickinson Park and Planet Play, an indoor play space in New Milford.

Davonte attended a pizza and movie party at United Karate where Quinn takes lessons. He watched a few of those lessons while visiting.

The boys both like math and science, and the family has had discussions about eclipses and how the moon reflects sunlight.

One other thing the boys have in common is their love of bananas. “Davonte’s a good eater,” Mrs Fitzgerald said.

His favorite foods?

“Chicken, baked beans, macaroni and broccoli,” Davonte said with a smile. “And, of course, ice cream.”

One other connection the two boys share is having grandfathers who lived in the Bronx. Last year, when Davonte visited, Mrs Fitzgerald was in the process of selling her father’s house in the Bronx. They had a tag sale that all three children helped with, holding signs to get people to stop in off the street.

Davonte lives on Fulton Street in Brooklyn with his mother, Amy, and two brothers. His older brother, Vincent, is 11 and has participated in the Fresh Air Program in the past. Ameen is 6 years old. Davonte said, “He’s kind of silly.”

During the two-week stay, Davonte and his family exchanged occasional phone calls.

“He’s the middle child in his family, and the middle child in ours,” said Mrs Fitzgerald. “Davonte has a way of quelling some of the sibling rivalry.”

Mrs Fitzgerald explained that as a child growing up in the Bronx, she would spend her summers at her grandmother’s home in the country. She has been a longtime supporter of Fresh Air Fund, because “not all kids have a relative in the country.”

As her children got older, she moved from supporter to host. She praised the program and said it is easy to host a child. The process starts with a telephone interview, followed by a home visit. Fresh Air Fund representatives meet the family and check out some basic criteria for host families.

“Kids can participate up to age 18. Some families keep in touch and continue visits after that,” Mrs Fitzgerald explained. “Fresh Air kids become part of the family.”

The Fresh Air experience has given Mrs Fitzgerald new insight into children.

“All kids have the same rule book,” she said. “They don’t listen the first time, they make a lot of noise, they make a mess and don’t want to clean it up.”

The Fresh Air Fund has been in existence since 1877 and in that time 1.7 million inner city children from New York City have enjoyed Fresh Air vacations. Young people ages 6 to 18 visit families from Virginia to Maine and Canada, spending one to two weeks in July or August. Some youngsters fit well with their families and often stay longer.

The fund also runs five camps in Upstate New York where 3,000 kids attend each summer. The program offers Year Round Camping, which entails weekend excursions.

A Career Awareness Program for 12–14-year-olds has also been developed. This program helps build self-esteem and self-confidence, improve language arts skills, computer skills, and introduces young people to a variety of careers.

For more information on the Fresh Air Fund or other programs, visit Freshair.org.