Passing out ceremony for art summer camp

One of the telltale signs that summer is coming to an end, is the awards ceremony at summer camps. Today, the Eder Alamilla Summer Camp 2009 concluded its session. Ian Okeefe, one of the camp’s organizers, says that this camp is intended to help children learn new skills, appreciate the arts and have something productive to do while school is still out.

Ian Okeefe, Organizer, Eder Alamilla Summer Art Camp
“The summer camp is a camp for underprivileged kids to get them out of the house and do something constructive. They get to meet friends and they learn a lot of values and things like that.”

Jose Sanchez
“What type of things do they create in the camp?”

Ian Okeefe
“They create a lot of stuff that they could use recycled materials. Like they had this one where they did the geckos where they just got a piece of Bristol board, just old crepe paper and ball it up and you can create whatever you want. We did friendship bracelets, we did the maracas, we did tie-dye, we did geckos, and door knob hangers. Today’s ceremony we try to make the kids feel special and so we’re there and we’re giving them everything. We give them snacks and their bags and their certificates.”

Jose Sanchez
“How many kids you have in the camp?”

Ian Okeefe
“We have about eighty in the morning and eighty in the afternoon.”

Jose Sanchez
“And this is something held annually.”

Ian Okeefe
“Yes, this is the fifth year.”

The yearly camp is held in memory of Eder Alamilla, a young artist who passed away in March of 2005.