Summer camps weigh whether they will open amid pandemic
CHICAGO - Even though kids are still bundled up for the early spring chill, parents are already planning summer activities.
Patrick Keenan from La Grange Park hoped to send his three kids to an overnight sports camp in Iowa.
"We have twin girls who, it's the first thing like this they were ever going to do, so we were super excited. And our son, who is 10, is like all sports and he was super pumped too," said Keenan.
However, Loras College All Sports Camp just announced that it is cancelling all summer camps.
"We get it. We were looking forward to it, kids were looking forward to it, but if they are not comfortable with the safety protocols then we are not either. At the end of the day, I think it's probably the right move," said Keenan.
Many organizations in the Chicago area are currently registering kids for summer day camps, including the YMCA of Metro Chicago.
"Camp is really about being outside and creating new opportunities for kids, and I think we're going to be able to do that, you know, socially distance with masks, but just making sure that we have that camp energy," said Allison Greenman from the YMCA of Metro Chicago.
The Y has put out videos to break down safety plans for families, and they continue to update plans each time health guidance changes.
"All the guidance that's coming from all over, we're, you know, trying to put it all in order to make sure that we're doing everything safely," said Greenman.
The Chicago Park District doesn't have a plan for summer camps. The district says it is in the planning process.
And most parents realize, any plans they make now are subject to change.
"But kids are resilient. They'll get over it, and they'll find something else to do," said Keenan.