A Summer Vacation That Lasts a Lifetime

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/29/opinion/a-summer-vacation-that-lasts-a-lifetime.html

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In the summer of 1983, 8-year-old Darryl Rattray boarded a bus to Schenectady, N.Y., not knowing what to expect. At the time, he lived in a Bronx neighborhood plagued with drugs and violence. At home, his mother was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The Fresh Air Fund provided a much-needed break.

Mr. Rattray, now 40, said that for three summers in a row he spent two weeks with the Bonitatibus family. The days were filled with riding bikes through the woods and playing sports. The stars were plentiful at night. Time away from the city gave him newfound freedom and confidence. “It opened my eyes to the wilderness,” he said.

What started out as a simple summer vacation has turned into something more meaningful. For a young person, the exposure to a different world can be critical. “You don’t realize how your environment is affecting you,” he said. “We need to see what else is possible.”

Today, Mr. Rattray is the associate commissioner for community centers and strategic partnerships for the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development. He still keeps in touch with some members of his host family, and he was the keynote speaker at the Fresh Air Fund’s recent volunteer conference.

This year, the fund aims to serve more than 7,000 New York City children from low-income communities and hopes to raise $10.5 million by the end of September. About 4,000 children will visit volunteer host families and 3,000 will attend fund camps. Many also participate in year-round academic enrichment programs. The cost of sending a child on a two-week vacation with a host family is $997, and one session at a summer camp is $1,683.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to The Fresh Air Fund, 633 Third Ave., 14th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017, or be made online at freshair.org. Families who wish to be hosts can write to the same address, fill out a host inquiry online or call (800) 367-0003.