PALS co-director: We just hope that we can bring back the camp in a better way

For the second year in a row Purdue Athletics Life Success Camp, or "PALS" is suspending summer activities.

Camp, or "pals" is suspending summer activities.

News 18's marvin bills spoke with the co- director about the decision and the impact it will have on children who participate, and workers, as well.

Marvin: good evening, the camp is suspended due to covid-19 and organizers tell me that they don't feel comfortable hiring more than 50 staff members and inviting nearly 500 kids to campus this summer.

They say it's better safe than sorry.

"it was an easier decision.

It was obvious that we were never going to be able to pull it off given the size of our program."

Super spreader, is what co-director for pals, bill harper says holding the camp this summer during covid-19 would be.

"we felt that the odds and the risk benefit, evaluating the odds of us pulling off pals even this coming summer would be very, very difficult."

Planning for the summer camp takes place six months in advance.

It caters to families in tippecanoe county with an income below federal poverty guidelines.

"we've been here since 2002.

So our next program coming up which ever year it is in will be our 20th year."

The camp provides activities about exercise and healthy living for kids 8-14.

Harper says the impact the program has on kids and staff members make the cancellation harder.

"the population that we deal with just simply doesn't have the opportunities.

They just aren't going to be going off to disney land, spending thousands of dollars for a summer trip."

Nat pop "our tagline is sort of a summer time experience about life with lifetime benefits and that's basically what we are trying to do.

Everybody has hopes and dreams and we are trying to help sustain those or to inspire them in our summer opportunities."

Harper says organizers have already started planning to hold pals in 2022.

"we just hope that we can bring back the camp in a way that maybe even better."

Harper tells me that the program has created are few virtual options for kids this summer.

You can find that information attached to this story on our website that's wlfi dot com.

At purdue university, mb, news 18