HOUSERVILLE — Eighteen-year- old New York City resident Chrystal Lopez says she hasn’t had the best childhood, but she’ll always look back on her summers in Centre County as some of her fondest memories.
Todd and Denise Denlinger push their son Merrick and Fresh Air Child Mahogani Smith on the swings at Spring Creek Park after she arrives in Staet College. The Fresh Air Fund State College Committee welcomed New York City children Friday, July 3, 3009 at Spring Creek Park. CDT/Nabil K. Mark
“I can always look back and cherish these memories,” Lopez said. “They’re the best of my childhood.”
Lopez is one of 20 kids coming to the area from New York City this year as part of the Fresh Air Fund, which aims to give inner-city kids a vacation in the rural countryside.
“It’s a totally different experience from being in New York City,” Lopez said. “If I hadn’t come out when I was little, I would never have gotten an experience like this.”
She spent many of her summers during her teen years at Morse Reese’s 100-acre family land in Julian playing and exploring with the neighborhood kids.
She’s fed baby deer in her hands, ridden a mule, gone camping, and “I haven’t done it since, actually,” she said.
“I’m really, really, really excited,” Lopez said of the coming week. “It’s going to be really sad, too. But I’m going to enjoy my time. I always have.”
Reese said it’s been neat to watch her grow into “quite a young woman.” He and his wife love children, and that’s why they participate.
Single people, families, retirees and all backgrounds host the children, said Karen Gregg, of the fund.
Lisa Vavrick and her 11-year-old daughter, Lindy, are taking in 12- year-old Chiffon Wear, who got off the bus after a long ride and said she loves to travel.
“We thought it’d be fun for Lindy to have a playmate,” Lisa Vavrick said. “From the moment I told her about it she’s been excited.”
Her 16-year-old brother “doesn’t have a lot of time for her,” she said, laughing.
They have a house full of animals that Chiffon was excited to see, and they live on a farm in Penns Valley with a swimming pool in the backyard.
“This is something I always wanted to have when I was growing up,” Lisa Vavrick said. “I moved to the city after I went to Penn State and I had a great appreciation for this area after I moved back home. It’s nice for Fresh Air kids to be able to see the country and know that there’s life outside the walls of the city.”
The fund sends kids to 13 states and Canada. Many come over for just a week, but some stay as long as six or seven weeks.
Misty Simco, who lives in Pennsylvania Furnace and has worked with inner-city kids before, said sometimes they don’t think they can ever leave.
“They don’t see grass, trees,” she said. “They probably don’t see cows. Once they realize there’s another world out there, they don’t have to stay, they can explore.”
Her family is hosting a 7-yearold, for whom her 11-and 13-yearold daughters are thrilled to be “big sisters.”
“Especially the littlest,” Simco said. “She feels like she’s been ripped off. She wanted to be the big sister and she can’t do that with the other one.”
Simco shared the information about the program with her friend Heidi Knutelsky, who was thrilled to do it since her family and her husband’s family both hosted Fresh Air kids when she was growing up.
“We had wonderful experiences as children,” Knutelsky said. They are hosting an 8-year-old boy, who will undoubtedly be a playmate for their 4-and 8-year-old boys who are so filled with energy that they were nearly soaked from playing in puddles when the bus arrived with the kids.
“We thought we have a great family for an active little boy,” Knutelsky said. Every day leading up to the arrival, her son, Jacob, has been asking, “Is he coming yet? Is this the day yet? What time is it?” she said.
Knutelsky and Simco plan to take the kids to see fireworks today, nearby parks, and maybe to ride horses.
“A lot of things,” Knutelsky said. “Enjoy family things, that they probably wouldn’t get in the city, like Penns Cave and picnics.”
Sara Ganim can be reached at 231-4616.
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