“I don’t know who paid for it, but I sure had a good time!” As youngsters, our mission in life is to live and learn. If we have fun along the way, then we are doubly blessed. 

 

Mr. Howard Diehl was four years-old when his father died in 1918. He was placed in the Avon Children’s Home in Pittsburgh, PA. He did not have an easy time of it at the facility, but each summer the children were sent to a summer camp at Conneaut Lake. This was and always remained a favorite memory of Mr. Diehl.  He didn’t know who paid for him to go to camp, but he sure had a good time!

 

Mr. Diehl died in April 2001.  In memory of her parents, Isabel and Howard Peters established the Howard and Mary Diehl Memorial Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. The fund offers underprivileged children an opportunity to attend the Boys & Girls Club of Jamestown’s Camp Hiak Tilikum Summer Day Camp. This camp offers children an opportunity to enjoy the wonders of attending a camp very much like the one Mr. Diehl did many years ago. His memory of those wonderful days at camp will remain alive, because of this special fund.

 

Camp Hiak Tilikum is a Day Camp facility of the Boys and Girls Club of Jamestown located on Curtis Street Extension. It offers several playing areas, including a recreation field, a picnic pavilion, a building for rainy day activities and wooded trails. The program offers a variety of fun and educational activities for boys and girls ages 5 through 12, including young, first-time campers as well as experienced day campers. Trained professional counselors supervise all activities to promote active participation for all campers and to ensure camper safety in a positive and engaging environment. The camps run weekly from June 30^th-August 15^th .

 

It is hoped that, through the Howard and Mary Diehl Memorial Fund, there will be youngsters who will have fond memories of a wonderful time at summer camp.  They may not know who paid for it, but the opportunity will instill great memories long after our children’s children are old enough to attend summer camp. While summer camp might only be a week long, the skills and benefits it provides to youth can have a substantial impact on their long-term development. 

 

If you are interested in learning more about camperships at the Boys and Girls Club of Jamestown, please call 664-2902 or go to www.bgcjamestown.org.