Foundation 'promises' campers fun summer

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - For kids, summer camp can be the best time of their life, and for the children and young adults at St. Mary's Home for Disabled Children it's no different.

Thanks to a $10,000 donation from Chartway Federal Credit Union's We Promise Foundation the kids at St. Mary's can have the summer camp experience they may not have gotten the opportunity to have otherwise.

The money from the We Promise Foundation will fund Camp Horizon, a eight week camp where the students will get to splash around in a pool, go fishing, play games and make new friends. Just like any other kid going to summer camp.

"Summer camp is something a lot of kids do and our children might do it a little bit differently but they know they're going to camp. it's something they look forward to and they have a really great experience," said Mary Helen Hilton with the St. Mary's Home For Disabled Children.

We Promise Foundation's John Blum said, "Our mission is simple, we want to put a smile on the face of a child that's facing a serious issue maybe even a life threatening illness or just debilitating circumstances."

Wednesday the campers were presented the $10,000 check while on a field trip to the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.

"They usually don't get an opportunity to make their own decisions, make their own choices," said Camp Horizon Counselor Katie Lape, "So when they come out on trips like this, it's a great opportunity for them to go where they want, do what they want to do and hang out with people they want to hang out with and make choices for themselves for once."

Since 1999 the We Promise Foundation has raised more than $3 million to support numerous children's charities that share their mission.