NEPA’s Summer in the City kicks off in Wilkes-Barre

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A day of fun but for a good cause in downtown Wilkes-Barre. A local youth group ran and organized their biggest fundraiser to date and will donate all of the proceeds.

Public Square in downtown Wilkes-Barre is packed thanks to NEPA’s Summer in the City.

The youth-run organization held its annual fundraising event, a day downtown, with 60 vendors. One of the organizers says the best part of this is seeing people come together.

“People from different aspects of the community can pull from their various places and get you know all the help we need so definitely just kind of you know how it’s like amazing to see and look around and see all this was done by a recently graduated high school student and pretty much his friends,” said Rebecca Polgar the youth program coordinator for NEPA’s Summer in the City.

This year all the money raised at this event will go to an organization that helps kids who are victims of trauma.

“Hillside brought the farm animals down and the best part is all the money we raise every year Our youth group picks a different cause and this year we’re fundraising for Hillside Farms grief camp so every dollar spent here at this park today is going right to grief camp,” explained Paul Stevenson the event coordinator for Summer in the City.

The Lands at Hillside Farms children’s grief camp is held each Summer.

It is completely free of charge to grieving kids and their families.

All of the money raised this weekend will help them continue to provide help to vulnerable children in our community.

“We don’t say we’re curing, but what we’re doing is we are giving these children the tools to recognize what’s going on to understand that they didn’t cause what happened to them and they’re not responsible for curing what happened to them,” added Suzanne Kapral the director of development & marketing at Lands of Hillside Farms.

Organizers say they hope this shows others in the community that there is no wrong age to step up and help out.

“I think a lot of people think that you have to be older and you know wiser and years to put something on like this, but I think you know if anyone could do it Paul because it’s about outreach and it’s about leaning on others around you and when you ask, people are always willing to help,” stated Polgar.

The fun will continue till 8;00 p.m. and they will also be back next week with NEPA’s day out on July 27 at the Duryea Community Park.

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