Summer's in, school is out, and students who would normally be found playing on the basketball courts and playgrounds of their schools can now be found in the game room and in the gym of Cora Kelly Recreation Center.
Like most Alexandria rec centers, Cora Kelly has summer programs for students who would normally have nowhere else to go.
Every day 125 to 140 children show up to sign in and get ready for a day full of sports, crafts, educational games and other social and group games. The exception to this are the weekly field trips.
"We try to take the kids many different places to give them a taste of everything," said Angela Redfearn, the center's supervisor. "We go to pools, museums, parks and just recently took a trip to Wolf Trap."
The summer program specifically targets children between 5 and 12 and are broken down into their specific age groups. "By breaking down the kids into smaller age groups, our staff can work closer with kids in certain groups," said Lucky Elliot, facility director.
THERE ARE NINE staff members, and many more teen and adult volunteers from the community working with the children throughout the summer.
The summer sports teams are popular among the participants at the center. Basketball, cheerleading and track are the most popular teams at the facility. The basketball and track teams compete with each other in an in-house league of six teams. Intramural sports like kickball and relay games are also popular.
"We make bracelets, necklaces, pictures and other kinds of crafts," said camper Julian Dawkins, 12. "I like the basketball league the most, though, especially when my team won the gold division championship and I was named MVP."
"Although we have anti-drug programs for kids, they normally target kids starting at the age of about 12 or 13," said Elliot. "Our summer programs are more for the younger kids and focus on fun."
DESPITE HAVING recreation games and events, the center also provides tutorial programs and crafts to help build writing and verbal skills.
The program runs all summer long and ends with a fun-filled day of activities on Aug. 14.
"We are going to have a moon bounce, a clown, a cookout, face painting, and games that both the kids and their parents can participate in," said Cisco Fabian, facility manager.