Keeping Cool At Summer Camp
Keeping Cool At Summer Camp
By Kendra Bobowick
Avery Fiorello gripped the white plastic lawn chair and shut her eyes. Laughing and pointing to the bullâs-eye he intended to hit to release a water balloon hanging over her head was Dickinson Camp Site Director Jeff Earle. Although it wasnât his ball toss that did it, Avery, dressed in her pink ruffled bathing suit, was soon soaked when the balloon overhead exploded.
Across the lawn during the Parks and Recreation Departmentâs summer camp at Dickinson Park was a 15-foot-tall water slide where campers lined up to climb to the top and slide feet first into a shallow pool. Rushing along the plastic surface on his back and sending up a plume of water was camper Steven Mayor, among a cluster of others keeping wet and cool on the humid afternoon of Wednesday, August 10.
Other children and counselors hid in the shade beneath the Dickinson pavilion where chalk drawings covered the concrete. As campers raced for the water slide they left behind heaps of beach towels, backpacks and sneakers sprawled across the ground. Dipping her paintbrush into a cup, Annika Bozentko sat beside Evan Cowley, who peeked from beneath his plastic hardhat. A few tables away, Felix Griffin, was leaving a trail of crumbs from his chocolate chip cookie snack.
Sitting with counselor Leah Pizighelli, Ethan Bonilia, Blake Ballard, and Zarek Layda, waitied their turn to try a fruit smoothie whipped up by recreation director Amy Mangold and assistant director RoseAnn Reggiano.
The camp is part of the recreation departmentâs annual summer activities.