As parents dropped their children off for the summer camp recently at Delran Community Park, they noticed signs advertising the town’s upcoming freedom festival on Tuesday.
The event was originally scheduled for June 27, but postponed because of bad weather. Partnering with Riverside and Delanco, Delran’s festival celebrating America’s 250th anniversary will begin at 5 p.m. and include live music, family activities and fireworks at sunset.
But at the week-long camp on July 21, more than 100 children were more interested in Whiffle ball, arts and crafts, the playground and the search for pirate treasure.
“Today is pirate day and activities for the children include a treasure hunt,” said camp chair Jenna Alesiani, of the Under the Sea week-long theme that also includes mermaids and sharks.
The second week-long camp at the 34-acre park will begin on Monday and continue through Thursday, Aug 7, and feature a space adventure theme, said Alesiani, who had four children, including Charlee, who was at the arts and crafts tables in the first camp week.
“I love planning fun, outside activities for the youngsters,” said the fifth-grade teacher at Delran Intermediate School. “It is so important for them to get outside and not be in front of a screen. The campers get to play with each other and learn teamwork in grade-level groups.”
Delran Recreation Advisory Committee chair Tina Buckley was busy checking in children at the park entrance and was thrilled by the large turnout for the camp’s first week. “We have 150 youngsters signed up and as many as 120 of them show up each day.”
A volunteer, Buckley received assistance from her 11-year-old son, Daniel Walters, who’s been coming to the camp for several years.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “We get to play Whiffle ball and kick ball, do arts and crafts and play on the playground.”
“The camp is free for all Delran residents and goes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” Buckley explained. “Next year, we hope to have three or four weeks of camp. It’s great that the children are off their phones and having fun outside. Once a week we have a pizza party and an ice cream party.”
A big camp highlight every day is when fire engines park in the grassy area next to the playground and Delran firefighters hose down the children to cool them off.
As for the freedom festival, there will be a shuttle to the community park all evening, with stops at Summerhill Field, Millbridge Elementary School, the Don Deutsch Field, Holy Cross Prep Academy, the Field of Dreams in Delanco and the Riverside Township building
Created 15 years ago to provide new athletic fields for residents, the park was purchased with funds from the county’s open space program and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program.
A all-inclusive Jake’s Place playground with wheelchair access and smooth rubber surfaces was built at the park in 2019 to let youngsters with disabilities enjoy playing with their friends. The park also hosts many community events; this year, it will be home to the combined freedom festival and National Night Out, both on Monday.
It will feature live bands, food trucks and plenty of activities for children, including bounce houses; face painting; and outdoor games, with the promise of a spectacular fireworks display proudly honoring the nation’s birthday.
Recreation Advisory Committee Chairperson Tina Buckley (left photo) and her son, Daniel Walters, welcome youngsters to the Delran summer camp on July 21, while camp director Jenna Alesiani and her daughter, Charlee, joined the events.
