For the children of Rockville Centre, summer at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center is about much more than finding something to do while school is out.
The center’s summer program gives children ages 5 to 13 a place to play, make friends and build relationships through sports, arts and crafts, swimming, trips and other activities. The program runs weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with counselors working to provide something for everyone.
On Mondays, campers travel to Floyd B. Watson Elementary School to use the gymnasium for basketball, football, soccer and volleyball. For counselor Manu Alford, a starter on the Molloy University basketball team, days like this reflect the program’s goal of giving children a variety of activities.
“We have a lot of different kids, so some kids like certain stuff, so we try to accommodate to everyone,” Alford said. “We have a lot of different activities to do, different sports, other types of games, different activities.”
The schedule varies throughout the summer, with campers participating in arts and crafts, baking and Double Dutch jump-rope sessions, along with trips to destinations including Adventureland, a trampoline park, and White Post Farm.
Alford knows the experience from both sides. At 21, he is now a counselor at the same program he attended as a child. His mother, Nicole Alford, also worked at the center when he was born, giving him a lifelong connection to the community center.
As a camper, Alford looked up to the older counselors. Now, he has the opportunity to serve as that role model for younger children.
“My favorite part is just the relationship I have with the kids,” Alford said. “When I came in, I came in when I was in camp too, my whole life. Having a relationship with the older counselors, looking up to them and being able to see them every day, that’s really the main thing.”
This year’s program began July 6 and runs through Aug. 20, when the children will celebrate with a talent show. For Community Center Director Patrick Morris, the emotions on the final day show just how meaningful the summer experience has become for the campers.
“At the end of the talent show, all you see is tears from the kids because they know it’s the last day of camp,” Morris said.
