Boys & Girls Club kicks off youth spring break camp

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - Spring break is in full swing, and the Boys & Girls Club is making sure all kids can have fun without breaking their parents’ bank.

The club began its spring break camp this week, with a focus on being fun and cost-effective.

Rachel Wolff, CEO of the Wichita Falls Boys & Girls Club, said they are offering an active spring break camp, with karaoke and a large gym where kids play kickball and other intramural sports. Younger kids get their own gym, too; it’s all designed so kids can get active and use up their energy.

The club also practices engaging through academics, e-sports, American Sign Language classes, crafts, and book clubs, just to name a few.

“We focus on academic success, and we want to encourage and enhance the kids and partner with the WFISD and their efforts with our children. We also focus on leadership development, finding those kids who are going to be our future city leaders,“ said Senior Director of Resources and Programs for the Boys & Girls Club, Cara Sauceda.

Sauceda said their spring break camp aims to provide equal, affordable services to all kids. The cost is $30 per year. She said the club has been in the community since 1929, originally started by the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls.

“I think parents should experience what a Boys & Girls Club is about. Their kiddos can learn so much in character development and learning how to become a better citizen of our community,“ Sauceda said.

Wolff said that parents can stay calm when leaving their child in a safe camp, providing not only homework help but also fun academic games that keep kids engaged with learning.

“Safety is number one at the Boys & Girls Club. We take this very seriously. We talk to the children with a code of conduct both for the adults and for the kids, and in the last few years, thanks to our generous donors, we upped our security even more with security cameras and double doors,” Wolff said.

Single mother and full-time employee Ronda Cory said she was struggling and was going to quit her job to take care of her daughter, but now she can rest assured that her daughter has an engaging place to learn while she is at work.

“I think it’s financially affordable for everybody, most parents who even have a low-income job, and then you know when you have kids who have ADHD or hyperactivity and things like that. They keep them busy, and when I was younger, I went to the Boys & Girls Club, and I really liked it,” Cory said.

The camp will go on throughout this whole week, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and drop off at 7:30 a.m. with pick up at 5:30 p.m. For more information, you can click here.