Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz played camp counselor as a group of young campers gathered at Borough Hall to enjoy “bug juice” and other camp goodies and to help kick off another season of Camp Brooklyn.
Matt Allen, aka “The Ice Cream Man,” was also in attendance to make sure the children had a cool treat on a hot and steamy June morning. The lucky campers were also given camp survival packs — complete with flashlights, supplies for letters home and other essentials — at this special event.
Markowitz has always said that his camp experience changed his life, and he has committed himself to changing the lives of as many Brooklyn youngsters as he can. Besides, he points out, with children off from school the entire summer — sometimes with little or nothing productive to do — “Summer camp is great for kids, and even better for their parents.”
This year, 350 children will have the opportunity to experience two weeks of outdoor fun and hands-on learning, thanks to the non-profit organization SCOPE and the generosity of corporate sponsors and caring Brooklynites. Capital One was on hand to present Camp Brooklyn with a check for $30,000; other major contributors include Boar’s Head Provisions, Con Edison, Citibank, the Jennie L. Grant Foundation, Midwood Development Corporation, Rent-A-Center, Verizon Foundation and the Mark S. Zeplin Foundation.
The first group of campers left for the great outdoors this past weekend, and others will be leaving this summer for ten camps in the “country” outside the New York City area.
