The Central Blair Recreation Commission has announced the following summer programs. For more information and to register, call 949-2231.
n Caring Bears: This is a safe, structured, indoor program for children entering kindergarten through sixth grade in the school year 2010-11. Campers will participate in arts and crafts, games, sporting activities and movies. Children will be transported to at least eight field trips (at an additional cost) to places including Morrisons Cove Memorial Park, Memorial Pool, Galactic Ice, Carmike Theater and Blair County Ballpark. Special guests will be scheduled to visit the children throughout the summer. At the end of the summer, a special event, a Carnival of Games, will be held. Participants will have the opportunity to play a variety of games and redeem their winnings at a prize table .
The program will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays from June 7 to Aug. 20 at Cub's Den, 1010 19th St., Altoona. The cost is $85 per week or $65 for three days or less, which includes breakfast and lunch provided through the Altoona Area School District's summer program.
n Elementary Basketball Clinic: For $25, this three-week clinic will provide a learning opportunity for girls and boys in grades four through six to develop the basic fundamentals of the game. Instruction and developmental drills will include footwork, ball handling, dribbling, passing and shooting. Registration is limited to six participants per session to provide more individualized instruction.
The clinic will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 15 to July 1 at the 6th Ward Center. Girls are from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. and boys are from 6 to 7 p.m.
n Learn to Skate classes are being offered in cooperation with Galactic Ice and are endorsed by the U.S. Figure Skating Program. Children ages 5 through adults can learn the most important fundamentals of skating for hockey or figure skating from a professional coaching staff. There is a discounted price of $45 if you sign up through CBRC for this six-week program. (The fee includes skate rental, helmet, practice session and instruction) Classes are from 6:30 to 7:10 p.m. Tuesdays from July 6 through Aug.10. The registration deadline is July 2.
n Playground Program: Boys and girls ages 6 to 12 can enjoy all the fun and excitement at local parks this year. A qualified staff will organize daily activities such as games, arts and crafts and sports activities. There are weekly field trips, at an extra cost, to sites including Galactic Ice, Carmike Theater, Blair County Ballpark, Railroaders Memorial Museum, Prospect Pool and Morrisons Cove Memorial Park. Special guests will be scheduled to throughout the summer. A Carnival of Games will be held at the end of the summer.
Special note to parents: This is a drop-in program. Attendance is neither mandatory nor enforced. The staff supervises activities and encourages children to participate. However, they do not prevent your child from leaving the playground area if your child desires to leave. It is the parents' responsibility to discuss with their child when he/she may leave the playground. The playground program is not a rain or shine program due to the lack of indoor facilities at all sites. For daily cancellation information, call the hotline at 949-2234.
Thanks entirely to a grant provided by Operation Our Town, the Central Blair Recreation & Park Commission will be offering a $25 scholarship to every participant registered for this program.
This $25 has already been deducted from the cost of the program, and registration is now $43.
Session One will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 14 to July 9. Registration is still being accepted. Session two will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 12 to Aug. 6.?The registration deadline is July 8.
Session one will be held at Leopold Park, Veteran's Memorial Highway; Juniata Memorial, 12th Ave & Park Blvd.; and Evergreen Manor, 5919 Evergreen Court. Evergreen Manor participants must register at that site.
Session two will be at Valley View, 302 Valley View Blvd., Juniata Memorial, 12th Ave & Park Blvd.
The cost per child, per session is $43, which includes a T-shirt and a ticket to the Akron Aeros vs. Altoona Curve game at 7 p.m. Aug. 4. Enrollment will be limited to 50 per site.
n Bouncing Around Blair County and beyond Summer Scavenger Hunt: With families more conscious about their summer vacation budgets, the rec commission is offering a free summer scavenger hunt. This program will run for eight weeks beginning in June. Families can register and receive their free scavenger hunt passport at the CBRC office. Then visit www.cbrcparks.org where the office will post the coordinates for various recreational, entertainment and educational destinations in Blair County and beyond to visit. While at those destinations, participants will receive confirmation on your passport of your visit. After visiting all the destinations, take the completed passport to the CBRC office to be entered into a grand-prize drawing of four passes to HersheyPark. Random drawing also will be held throughout the course of the adventure. Watch the website for the starting date.
n Summer Golf Camp group lessons for area youth ages 7 to 17 will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from June 22 through July 8 at the Ravine Driving Range, Lakemont. Equipment will be provided to those who need it. Preregistration is mandatory before June 19. In order to provide more individualized instruction, registration will be limited to eight participants per session. Times will be 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. for ages 7 to 9, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. for ages 10 to 12 and 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. for ages 13 to 17. The cost is $50.
n Tennis Camp: This six-week instructional clinic will be held Saturdays from June 19 to July 31 at ProCare Rehabilitation. There will be no class on July 3. Times are 11 a.m. to noon for ages 4 to 6, noon to 1 p.m. for ages 7 to 10 and 1 to 2 p.m. for ages 11 to 14. This clinic will focus on the fundamentals of tennis. It offers a combination of learning, skills and games. The cost is $50 and there will be a maximum of 20 participants in each age group. The registration deadline is June 17.
n Robertson's Fitness Camp: This camp runs for six weeks under the direction of John Robertson, local coach/trainer and member of the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame. The class is appropriate for the beginners or experienced individuals.
The camp will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays today through?July 23 at the 6th Ward Community Center, 2101 Fifth Ave.,?Altoona. The cost is $1 per day. Drop-ins are welcome.
