Christiansburg Parks and Recreation preparing for youth summer camps

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. (WFXR) — As time winds down for the school year, parks and recreation departments around the area are getting ready for their summer programs. In the New River Valley, Christiansburg’s Parks and Recreation Department already had its first summer camp with Radford University baseball.

“It’s important to have activities for children at all times, to be honest with you. We strive really hard to provide a lot of programs to our community from the pre-school age up,” said Brad Epperley, director of Christiansburg Park and Recreation. “Next up, we have our Merit Badge camp and that works on a variety of different things from cooking to financial wellness.”

Epperley says the department has confirmed seven camps plus activities it will host in the summer. Some will be held at the Huckleberry Park which opened almost a year ago.

“My son being able to have a safe place for him to come to and he has a safe place to go to and I can drop him off with his buddies and they can run around. It’s been fabulous to have it,” said Sarah Pritchard, a Christiansburg parent.

There will be basketball and soccer camps as well as a nerf blaster challenge.

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“I love it, I think it’s great and it’s a wonderful chance to bond and for them to feel included, said Brianna Price,” explained a Radford parent. “Being outside is important in all aspects. It creates social activities, they can interact with other people, parents, bonding time. It’s just great to be outside.”

Epperley said students and teams from surrounding schools like the Christiansburg High School and universities often help with the camps. One of the camps in July will be in partnership with the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team.

“…With Mike Young basketball camps and the women’s basketball camp at Virginia Tech as well. And then we have the great resource of Radford University beside us as well too,” said Epperley about the different partnerships for the summer camps.

The department will also host a “Jill’s Buddy Camp” this summer in the final week of June for developmentally disabled and delayed children in Montgomery County. That day, they will also be joined by the Salem camp at Huckleberry Park for a few hours one day.

“I feel like it’s very important to the community to provide for our children here in Christiansburg, but also to the whole New River Valley,” Epperley said.

The department is looking to add more camps for football, softball, baseball and archery soon. On May 23, Christiansburg Parks and Recreation will have free activities all day and maybe even a plaque unveiling to kick off the official transition from spring to summer.

Epperley said for more information on dates and times, go to the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation website.

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