NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect NAF’s current tax status.

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Representatives of The Newtown Alumni Fund (NAF) visited the Newtown Parks & Recreation office on Friday, December 5, where they delivered a $1,000 donation for the department’s Campership Fund. The donation will help pay camp fees for children next summer.

Cheryl Hensel, a trustee of NAF, said she and her fellow alumni were pleased to be able to donate to the fund.

“We are excited by our gift to Newtown Parks & Rec. Camperships are a way for less affluent children to be able to take advantage of summer camp, and is a perfect fit with the NAF mission of supporting activities in Newtown.

“Because we are familiar with Parks & Rec, and because we are so associated with Newtown, we decided to contact this department to see how we could help children in Newtown,” Ms Hensel said last week.

Ms Hensel (NHS ’77), who now lives in Fairfield, was joined by NAF members Kitt Colvin Hannah and Arjan Zoto, both of Newtown, for the presentation.

Parks & Recreation Director Amy Mangold and Assistant Director of Recreation RoseAnn Reggiano accepted the donation.

In 2014, Newtown Parks & Recreation hosted more than 300 campers over the course of the summer, Ms Reggiano said December 5.

“Now that we have a playground again, those numbers should go up,” she said. A new playground, to replace one that had fallen into disrepair, was built this past summer at Dickinson Park.

The Newtown Alumni Fund was founded in the wake of 12/14 as a way for alumni of the Newtown public and private schools to join together. Members also include current and former Newtown teachers.

Its purpose is to advocate for, attract resources to, and work toward the restoration and healing the Newtown and its residents through developing and funding activities that promote psychological healing. NAF currently has six board members. Its president is Susan Jones.

The fund’s administrators are working to establish a 501(c)(3) status. Meanwhile, the group continues to collaborate with The Rotary Club of Newtown.

NAF has raised funds through tag sales, it has received donations from the public, and it offers for sale through its website downloads of the song “Damaged Innocence.” The song, written by Ron Chase, Teresa Chasse, and Kevin Hickey, with music by Ron Chase, is performed by Rough Mixx (which features Mr Chase and Ms Chasse, along with Allan Johnson and Joe Salvati).

For additional information about NAF, visit newtownalumnifund.org.