Every year, The Fresh Air Fund gives thousands of inner-city children the priceless gift of fun – and opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities.
Whether its a two-week trip to the country to visit a volunteer host family, or a fun-filled and educational stay at one of our camps, our programs make for unforgettable memories – and open a world of new friendships and fresh possibilities.
Just $10 will send one child on a bus ride to his or her Friendly Town host family.
$24 provides a child with a week of swimming lessons.
A gift of $50 can fund a camp counselor for a day.
If you can give as much as $91, you provide a child at camp with meals for a week.
We are a not-for-profit agency and depend on tax-deductible donations from people like you to keep our vital programs flourishing.
NYC Half Marathon
On March 21st, the Fresh Air Fund-Racers will take to the streets at the NYC Half-Marathon! Thank you to the Fresh Air Fund-Racers and their supporters for participating in this world class event. You are making a huge difference in the lives of thousands of Fresh Air children!
We have limited availability for this amazing race. If you would like to run, please register here right away.
Summer Highlights
The summer of 2009 was amazingly successful thanks to the generous support from all of The Fresh Air Fund volunteers and donors. With your help, next summer will be wonderful too.
2009 Summer Highlights:
Nearly 8,000 children enjoyed their best summers yet
370 students participated in the Career Awareness Program
11 counselors-in-training spent three days on the Appalachian Trail
168 young people were Leaders-in-training
For a more personal take on what a Fresh Air summer means to our campers and Friendly Town children, here are some heartwarming quotes:
“Camp has way more trees, a lot more things that you can see than New York City.” – Yaramyah, 11
“I learned how to swim…I didn’t know how before.” – Malaysia, 9
“I learned a lot of different things from the counselors – I learned how to trust each other, how to respect others, to treat everyone the same.” – Jeremy, 14
“It’s beautiful up there. I could never get tired of waking up to the perfect sunrise and going to sleep to the perfect sunset.” – Francine, 16
Host a Child
Thanks to host families who open up their homes for up to two weeks each summer, children growing up in New York City’s toughest neighborhoods have experienced the joys of Fresh Air vacations.
More than 65% of all children are reinvited to stay with their host family, year after year.
Fresh Air children are boys and girls, six to 12 years old, who reside in low-income communities in New York City and are eager to experience the simple pleasures of life outside the city.
Videos
The story of Brandon Mendoza and the McKnight family
Brandon Mendoza was just a young child when he first visited the McKnight family in Cape Cod, Massachusetts through The Fresh Air Fund's Friendly Town program. Little did anyone know that the relationship formed that first summer would blossom into a lifelong friendship. To this day, the McKnights remain a constant source of support and love for Brandon and feel that he is now just another member of the family.
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