B&G Club campers enjoy hikes, hoops and crafts

Thanks to a fantastic relationship with Seattle Storm, we were able to take 34 Boys & Girls Club summer campers to enjoy a game in a suite.

Our most involved club members who have gone above and beyond so far this summer demonstrating leadership and community were rewarded for their outstanding character and service to the club. These kids were taken to Key Arena and enjoyed some playground time at Seattle Center before the game. They watched the Seattle Storm lose by a bucket in a close game before the highlight of the trip going court-side.

When the game ended, our members took the court and each climbed a ladder and cut down the net. They were able to see and feel what it’s like to be center stage and to be a champion.

Morning Camp

We had two great literary weeks; first, the kids read together the book “Wonder,” where main character Auggie has a facial deformity and must undergo upsetting situations and hardships in middle school coupled with traditional coming-of-age issues.

Our kids participated in crafts and activities and all took a kindness pledge, signed a contract and posted them up in the Club lobby. Our Brain Gain members followed suit, by learning about diversity and wrote and delivered their own public service announcements.

The last week, members explored the poetry of Shel Silverstein. The amazing author has written many classics and famous poems so it wasn’t hard filling the day with all sorts of silly fun.

The poems and stories inspired crafts. After reading “The Giving Tree,” together morning camp participants used brown lunch bags, frayed and twisted them into their own mini tree and topped them with tissue paper leaves.

“The Zebra Question” reading led to several discussions about how we view things — perhaps you are black with white stripes, or maybe white with black stripes. Our members took a position and then created abstract art by rolling marble dipped in white paint on black paper or by rolling on white paper with black paint.

We wrapped the week with a trip around the building to see where the sidewalk ends before loading up on the bus for an outdoor barbecue field trip to Kitsap Memorial Park to soak up the great summer sun.

Junior Rangers

One of our very favorite programs is back and better than ever, as our Olympic National Park rangers deepen their relationship with the club youths.

The first adventure took our 30 kids age 8 and older to Spruce Railroad Trail for a 6-mile hike. They split into groups and set out on their way. Our Unit Director “Diamond Dave” and his group the “Turtles” were the caboose of the group keeping up and enjoying the trail a slightly slower pace. The highlight was enjoying lunch in a cave.

Last week we went to beaches at Rialto Beach exploring tide pools and hiking to Hole In the Wall. The rangers led our group of juniors through a booklet on Ocean Stewardship and each of our kiddos learned a bit on how to be a good neighbor to the beaches we live near.