Summer camp sign-ups ready to get under way

Feb 21, 2022 By CHUCK BALLARO 3 min read

Every year it seems summer camp at the North Fort Myers Recreation Center gets a little more popular.

Registration for summer camp there and at three other locations in Lee County kicks off on Monday, Feb. 28, at 7 a.m., and is expected to draw thousands of youngsters to programs, outings and activities at the department’s traditional camps, middle school camps and specialty camps.

The hope is there will be something summer camp hasn’t seen in three years, normalcy.

Summer camp runs for seven weeks from June 13 through July 29. At North, traditional camp will accommodate 120 campers per week, while the middle-school camp will have 40 kids per week.

Jessy Zukaidis, camp director, said the response from last year, where both the traditional and middle-school camps sold out, made them confident they could fill 120.

This year, barring something unforeseen, things are expected to return to normal, with trips to the North Fort Myers Community Pool, outings to the bowling alley or the movies and other activities.

“We had a lot of people on the waiting list last year, so we increased to 120 to see if we could get more at the center,” Zukaitis said. “We have been approved to do field trips. That can change, but we can set our calendars.”

Each year, the allotted spaces at Wa-Ke Hatchee, Lakes Park and Estero recreation centers fill up well before school ends, and in some cases in a matter of days. Registration is ongoing as long as space is available.

Zukaitis said this summer the camps should be able to do more things, which will mean the camps should sell out. North Fort Myers has slowly become a more popular camp destination.

“Estero usually goes pretty fast, especially if they have the knowledge of field trips again. We are expecting to have full staff on opening day,” Zukaitis said, who will be the traditional camp director, with Bryan Vance in charge of the middle-school camp.

Zukaitis said they will need to hire several camp counselors for both camps who have experience working with children. Candidates can apply online.

After COVID extended camp to 11 weeks in 2020, an early start to the school year this past year shortened camp to five weeks. In both those years, the camps were restricted to the rec centers only, with no field trips.

To register, you must obtain a membership first, which costs $10 for a lifetime. Camp costs $75 per child per week and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Camp sites will participate in countywide initiatives, such as service, learning projects, fitness and wellness programs and National Park and Recreation Month.

For more, register online or call 533-7275.

To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com