To the Editor:

The Potsdam Recreation Department just finished up the 2016 summer recreation program. With the help of many community members and businesses we were able to increase our offerings to the participants for the summer. We would like to thank these individuals, organizations and businesses for their involvement this summer.

We were able to add several local field trips including SwingTime Mini Golf, The Robot Zone, Community Performance Series at SUNY Potsdam, and The Roxy Theater. This was a great opportunity for the children and teens to get out and experience some of the great things Potsdam has to offer.

We were pleased to once again able to work with the Potsdam Neighborhood Center (CDP) to provide healthy lunches for youth participating in the summer program. In addition to the healthy lunches, the neighborhood center also sent their interns to join us to provide educational programming regarding nutrition to our participants.

This year Canton­Potsdam Hospital entered into a partnership with both the Summer Recreation Program and the Potsdam Neighborhood Center. Members of the CPH staff volunteered to make the lunches that were distributed through the Neighborhood Center. They also helped teach the participants about good nutrition and healthy lifestyles. Dr. Stoian along with Adriana Quiroga­Garcia helped to train our Staff in the Coaching Healthy Program. They helped the Recreation Staff learn ways to “coach” kids about healthy living through topics such as hydration, importance of physical activity, staying away from drugs and alcohol, the dangers of smoking, the importance of sleep, good nutritional choices, and self­efficacy. In addition, we had weekly volunteers from CPH come in and do various activities with the kids to encourage healthy lifestyles and positive self­image.

A visit from the Potsdam Police Department and Fire Department was another highlight from the summer. Officer Fink from the police department came in and spoke with the kids about bicycle safety, bike maintenance and the importance of wearing a helmet. Steve Keleher and Danielle Rose from the fire department brought over a couple of the trucks for the kids to look at and explore.

We wrapped up the summer with our annual family fun night. This included carnival style games, face painting, arts and crafts, and a Tae-Kwon-Do demonstration by Keith Sapp and students and instructors from Sapp Martial Arts. In addition the neighborhood center and CPH both set up booths at the family fun night with lots of give­aways for the kids and their families including fresh vegetables, books, frisbees, and water bottles.

We really appreciate the community support and involvement we received this summer and look forward to another productive summer in 2017!

The Potsdam Recreation Department