Send 500 kids to summer camp

 Florida Paddling Trails Associations ("FPTA") is on a mission! We need to send 500 kids to camp this summer. Many of us have memories of summer camp where we got to explore the world around us. We spread our wings; we laughed, cried, yelled, and figured out what to do when butterflies took over our stomachs. We paddled our first canoe and jumped off rope swings into a cool river. We gazed at the stars. We discovered why nature is vulnerable. We learned to paddleboard, kayak, swim and climb, and why mom made us wear sunscreen and insect repellent.  We grew as people. This year we ask you to help Florida Paddling Trails Associations ("FPTA"), a 501(c)3, send 500 kids to summer camp.   Today it is more difficult than ever for a working family to send their children to camp.  With the rising costs, summer programs have become unaffordable for many in our communities. In only two years since the inception of our Summer Camp Legacy Fund, through full and partial scholarships, FPTA has already sent nearly 200 children to camp.  Will you help us this summer?   How the program works FPTA has identified several Florida outfitters with established youth paddling programs in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Sebastian, Miami, Key Largo, Matlacha, and Tampa.  Most of the summer camps are week long day camps. Participants are drawn from the outfitters' local communities. Donations from this campaign and FPTA members, are combined with grant funds to maximize our impact.  Each week of camp costs an average of $150 per child.  Some camp programs match contributions to further reach our 500 camper goal. For the price of two fast food meals you can be part of this movement. If only six people donate $25 each, we can send two kids to camp. With your help we can an make this number 500.  The Impact Combining grant monies with the donations we raise, we support scholarships for up to 500 students. These would be 500 kids who are not inside watching television or computer screens all day long; who are outdoors this summer. Children learning about nature, our environment, along with discovering their regional waterways. That’s 500 school aged students who in 20-30 years will be our civic leaders; adults who understand first-hand the importance of being good stewards of our environment. Adults willing to fight to protect our wild areas and all because one summer you cared enough to help.   About FPTA The Florida Paddling Trails Association (FPTA) was established in 2007 as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the stewardship of Florida's paddling trails.  Our mission is to be a resource and voice for paddlers, to develop water trails, and to protect the environment. One of our strategic plan goals is to make FPTA a resource for partner-based youth education.  You can be a part of this mission. FPTA launched its Legacy Fund in 2016.  That year, we were able to send 42 kids to summer paddling camps across the state.  Letters of appreciation from campers, like the one below from "Nature Nate," poured in after our inaugural fund drive.  They warmed our hearts because these kids are the future and, in turn, the eventual protectors of our natural resources.  What We Need    We need your donations to help fund Summer 2018 paddling camp scholarships. We need your help to spread the word.  We need your support. WE NEED YOU.  Other Ways You Can Help We value your contribution, no matter what you can give!  Please make a tax deductible donation online today.  Or if you prefer to handle things the old fashioned way, please make your check payable to the FPTA and note Summer Camp Legacy Fund in the lower left corner.  Send it to: Florida Paddling Trails Association, PO Box 142082, Gainesville, FL 32614.  Time is of the essence since camps will begin filling up soon. Help us spread the word. Ask your friends, neighbors, house of worship, and employers to support today’s youth.  Together we can help create the next generation of Florida's stewards of nature.  Be a part of our future. Please donate today.