Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)
No complaints from neighbors in 2024, says Y
A summer camp that was a big hit at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin last summer will be back in 2025.
Township officials have approved the 2025 edition of a summer camp at the park, to be run by the North Penn YMCA.
Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)
Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)
Welcome sign to Fischer’s Park in Towamencin as seen in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)“I had zero complaints, really. It was a phenomenal camp. I think I had one complaint about the heat the first week, it was brutal, but other than that, we didn’t have any,” said Y Lansdale branch executive Bob Varga.
In late 2023 Y leadership made the case to township officials for permission to use the park for a summer camp, comparing it to similar camps they had run in Hatfield Township and in partnership with the North Penn and Souderton Area school districts, with Lansdale Catholic High School and with Advanced Living Communities.
The park is located off of Kriebel Road, and contains 77 acres of woodlands, ballfields and trails, featuring five pavilions, two playgrounds, bocce courts, a fishing pier, and the Arneth Entertainment Center, named for a longtime resident who bequeathed a fund that goes toward upgrades for the park.
The township adopted a new master plan in 2021 for that park, and some of the land is farmed, a resident suggested a multicultural festival there in 2021 and ’22, and an ‘Insect Hotel’ made by a resident was added there in 2023.
Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit North Penn YMCA)
Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)
Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)2024 camp was success
During the Jan. 22 supervisors meeting, Varga gave the township supervisors a rundown on the 2024 summer camp season, before asking for permission to run a similar camp later this year. In 2024, the camp ran from June 17 to August 23, with roughly 28 kids per week from kindergarten through eighth grade.
“We utilized the bullpen pavilion — which I see that it might be having a roof replacement — we did use the fields there, we used the nature trails, the kids played kickball, dodgeball, soccer, and other activities,” Varga said.
“We also bussed the kids to the Lansdale YMCA twice a week for swimming. We also utilized three field trips from that camp: we went to Elmwood Park Zoo, we went to Freddy Hill, and to Water Tower Cinema” in Montgomery Township, he said.
For 2025, the Y is proposing to run the same camp from June 23 to Aug.22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, with an option for kids to attend on Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday only, and discounts would be offered for Towamencin residents. Supervisor Joyce Snyder asked if the camp organizers had any issues with traffic or complaints from residents, and Varga said they the only problem they encountered was summer heat: “Can’t do anything about that, just keep them hydrated.”
“When we had a severe thunderstorm coming in for a day, we have another camp at Inglewood (Elementary) School, so we just had the parents drop the kids of there, and stay there for the day while the storms went through,” he said.
Supervisor Kristin Warner said she recalled concerns from neighbors near the park prior to the approval, and asked them to contact her if they saw issues — and none did.
Kids took part in a summer camp at Fischer’s Park in Towamencin hosted by the North Penn YMCA in summer 2024. (Credit: North Penn YMCA)Township Manager David Kraynik then asked if the board wanted to prepare an updated agreement for the camp to be held in 2025, and the supervisors unanimously voted to do so; the board also voted unanimously to approve the pavilion roof replacement, a project included in the township’s 2025 budget.
For more on the North Penn YMCA visit northpennymca.org or search for “North Penn YMCA” on Facebook.
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