Great summers start at the Boys & Girls Club! During the months of June and July, Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County (BGCLPC) will proudly serve approximately 400 local children through its free, full-day summer camps in Michigan City and La Porte.

Offering a camp program of this size at no cost to families isn’t an easy feat. Fortunately, 1st Source Foundation, an entity created to enhance and strengthen the social, economic and cultural fabric of the communities served by 1st Source Bank, has lent its support to the cause through a $25,000 grant to help cover the costs of BGCLPC’s Michigan City camp.

BGCLPC’s summer camp serves children completing kindergarten through 8^th grades. In addition to offering programming that supports Academic Success, Character & Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles, the organization is committed to providing every summer Club member with a wide range of memorable experiences. This year’s highlights have included:

• Cooking classes, canvas painting, Zumba and a thrilling dance performance by the Lakeshore School of Performing Arts Dance Team;

• Life-sized Connect 4, a Jenga tournament and a variety of water games;

• Club members working together to design and build a giant three-dimensional city while learning about geometry concepts;

• An all-Club field trip to the La Porte County fair; and

• Tie-dyeing hundreds of Club shirts – an annual tradition!

“Summer is the busiest time at the Boys & Girls Club, and we are very proud to be able to offer our valuable programs at no cost to families again this year,” says Michelle Shirk, BGCLPC Chief Executive Officer. “Our team is tremendously grateful to our friends at 1st Source Foundation for this generous grant in support of our Michigan City camp, as well as their continued partnership. We thank them for their longstanding commitment to ensuring a Great Future is within reach of every child in La Porte County!”

“1st Source Foundation is proud to support Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County,” said Matt Vessely, West Region President at 1st Source Bank. “This camp provides an invaluable resource, at no-cost to the families of the children who attend. We are incredibly pleased that we can continue our long partnership with the Boys & Girls Club in this tangible way, supporting their great work for children and families in Michigan City and throughout La Porte County.”

BGCLPC’s summer camp program ran through July 24 in Michigan City and continues through July 31 in La Porte. Registration for 2024/2025 afterschool programming in Michigan City, La Porte, Westville and Kingsford Heights will begin on July 29. Interested families can learn more and begin the registration process at https://www.bgclpc.org/registration/.

BGCLPC eliminated membership fees in 2021, and now funds its programs through grants, donations and special events. Its Phase 2 programming expansion is made possible thanks in part to support from the Health Foundation of La Porte. Additional support for BGCLPC’s 2024 summer camp program has been provided by Michigan City Community Enrichment Corporation, Duneland Health Council, Lilly Endowment Inc. and GAF Roofing. Summer camp sponsors include Reprographic Arts, Planet Fitness, Full Tilt Arcade, LaPorte Seamless Gutter, Duneland Media, MonoSol, and the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office.

Boys & Girls Clubs of La Porte County is a member of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a nationwide affiliation of more than 5,000 autonomous Club organizations. For more information about BGCLPC and its programming, please visit www.bgclpc.org.