Summer Camp Nears Close to 16th Year of Service

The Orlando Police Department G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education And Training) Program and Florida Citrus Sports partnered again this summer to sponsor a fantastic sports camp attended by over 250 disadvantaged youth ages 10-15.  Two three-week sessions offer students the opportunity to participate in various sporting events, enhance their computer skills, learn to swim and experience personal growth through a variety of enrichment activities.  The first session of camp has ended and session 2 is currently under way at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

Orlando Police Officers and camp staff work closely with the students to teach life skills to help them develop leadership and communication skills, effective problem solving methods and tools to avoid delinquent behavior.  The camp has featured individual life skills instruction as well as some tremendous other learning opportunities.  Through Florida Citrus Sports � who has been putting on the camp since 1994 � community leaders have been asked to come out and speak to campers.  This year�s list has included commissioner Daisy Lynum, FBI Special Agent Mike Henry, Orlando Sentinel writers Scott Maxwell and Shannon Owens as well as commissioner Tiffany Moore-Russell, to name a few.

Campers have also been able to go on field trips this summer to places like Islands of Adventure, the Orlando Science Center and Disney�s Animal Kingdom.

This year’s Florida Citrus Sports G.R.E.A.T. Program Summer Sports Camp culminates Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 10:00 am at the Citrus Bowl Varsity Club with a ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of each student and giving students the opportunity to demonstrate some of their newly developed talents.

The efforts of Florida Citrus Sports and the Orlando Police Department are helping to change the face of Orlando by making a positive influence on the values of these students.