Summer Day Camp packed with fun

Mabee Red Shield members at Woolaroc

Salvation Army Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club ramps up program

The Salvation Army Mabee Red Shield Boys & Girls Club is almost too busy for me to keep up with. Every time I visit, I see kids having fun in a new program. Plus, Mabee Red Shield gets a lot of support from the community. For example, Ross Dress for Less Stores assisted with the Club’s Mother Day Tea and Cox Communications donated all the computers and equipment for the club to open up the Cox Technology Center this summer.

Maj.Jim Taylor learns a video game.

"The computers will go a long way in helping them to keep up their skills during the summer and keep up in school next year,” club director Jerome Smith said.

Club program Melissa Gruszeczki has several special summer classes planned. The older members get to take journalism class from program aide Crystal Mastandrea and create a newsletter which is sent home to parents. In “Sports Club,” athletic director Jason weeks coaches the older kids on teaching the younger kids organized sports.

“The older kids take it very seriously and get a lot out of taking responsibility to teach the younger kids the rules of the game,” Jason said. Program aide Anthony Hall is coaching the kids in track and field sports.

Volunteers from Ross at Mothers Day Tea

So far the club has taken field trips to the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory and Woolaroc. Fun activities scheduled for later this summer are an outing to see the Tulsa Shock play and a trip to Frontier City in Oklahoma City. I’m just sorry I missed the trip to Blue Bell – I heard there were free samples! –Sallie