Thanks to a new scholarship program supported by the Prince William Parks Foundation, 103 children had the chance to experience summer camp at no cost. The scholarships were awarded through the Count Me In Scholarship Program—a partnership between the Foundation and the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. The needs-based scholarship awards were made possible thanks to the generous donations from individual and corporate donors and the Hylton Foundation.
The scholarship program was created to help families who would normally not be able to send a child to camp due to financial hardships. Scholarships were made available on a first come, first served basis to eligible families residing in Prince William County. Each scholarship covered the cost of one week at a Prince William County summer camp.
Paige Zuniga, a Prince William County mom, received a scholarship for all four of her young daughters who attended camp the first week of August at Veterans Memorial Park. “We were so honored to receive the Count Me In Scholarship,” Zuniga says. “It allowed our girls to have fun, stay active, and play safe with other kids their ages. The older three went to a time travel camp and the youngest attended an international animal’s camp.”
The Foundation will continue raising funds for the program with a long-range goal to ensure no child is turned away from camp due to cost. “We are thrilled to be able to provide these parents the opportunity to send their children to camp,” says Ruth Anderson, chair, PWC Parks Foundation. “This was especially important given the closures of many camps during the height of the pandemic the past couple of years. We look forward to providing more opportunities like this in the future.”
To learn more about the Prince William County Parks Foundation or to donate, please visit pwcparksfoundation.com.