Y Story: Generations of Summer at the Y

Jim Nichols practically had the Y in his back yard growing up in Severna Park, Maryland.  He recently stopped into the The Y in Arnold on a rainy Saturday afternoon looking for information about summer camps for his kids.  He remembers attending Y summer camps at Sandy Point State Park when he was in 6^th and 7^th grade in the early 1970s.  Nature walks, water safety, arts and crafts-he was looking for the same kind of fun and community oriented experience for his kids.  Jim graduated from Severna Park High School in 1981 and having just returned to the Annapolis area after living in Tysons Corner, Virginia for several years, it seemed only natural that he’d check in with the organization that seemed synonymous with “summer” for him as a kid.  Jim’s experience reminds us all that the Y’s annual “Send a Kid to Camp” campaign can bring the experience of fun, safety, nature and community not only to kids whose parents have the time and means of supporting their constant activity through the summer months but to as many kids as our members’ generosity will sustain.  It reminds us that all kids deserve a chance to make the same fond memories of Y summer camp fun, just like Jim did. - Constance Flanagan