Free Portsmouth summer camp for 400 children

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Portsmouth City Council approved $115,000 for 400 kids to attend the City’s Summer RAYS Program.

The 7-week program starts June 24 and ends August 9. The camp recently reached capacity for young children, but still has open spots for children between the ages of 13 and 17 years old. Children can enjoy sports, games, crafts, and leadership activities at the camp.

City Councilmember De’Andre Barnes, who led this initiative, said at a time where there’s high crime levels in the city among youth, this gives them something positive to take part in.

“Well, we have a crime issue in the City of Portsmouth and the way that you stop crime, is this, you deal with poverty, but you also give kids something to do. I thought this was a way to give our children something to do, because it’s not just low income kids. It’s it’s all our kids, all homes, and you give them something to do opposed to the things that they will have in their community and they will stay out of trouble,” said Barnes.

Barnes said he went to the camp as a kid and it helped set him up for success.

If you’ve already registered for the Summer RAYS Program, you will get a refund. However, it could take up to three weeks to process.

If you’re interested, click here for more information on the program and the link to register.

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