Virgen: Camp needs help
Bright fireworks filled up the sky above Costa Mesa High and the OC Fair Saturday night amid the city’s 60th anniversary celebration.
It was a great show to see, but also a reminder of the strong community Costa Mesa has, which made the celebration worthy.
Countless times I’ve witnessed the community come together for great causes, or even just for a sporting event.
This summer, Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools are asking the community to support a great program.
It’s called the Costa Mesa Summer Sports Camp.
The sports camp is being offered for free to students Monday through Thursday, 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Estancia High.
It’s free because of generous donations expected from the Costa Mesa community, or even those within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
Programs like these should be free, but there is still money needed for the great coaches who teach the kids and motivate them to improve throughout the summer.
The summer can be such a pivotal time for students, especially athletes. Some student-athletes have been known to grow 3-5 inches and gain 30-50 pounds of muscle because of dedication and hard work. And because of programs like the Costa Mesa Summer Sports Camp.
The camp begins July 22 and is offered to all incoming fourth- through eighth-grade students within the Estancia and Costa Mesa school zones.
I was told because of construction and renovation taking place at Costa Mesa High, the camp will take place at Estancia High, 2323 Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa.
The first portion of the camp will be July 22 through Aug. 1 and will be directed by Estancia High coaches in the sports: football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, tennis, cheer, baseball, track and field, cross country and wrestling.
The second portion of the camp takes place Aug. 5 through Aug. 15 and will be directed by Costa Mesa High coaches in the sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball, cheer and baseball. Tennis, track and field, cross country and wrestling will again be directed by Estancia coaches.
Those interested in signing up can contact Mike Sciacca at Estancia, (949) 515-6552.
The donations, perhaps the most important part of the camp, can be made through Costa Mesa United at https://cmunited.org; 1700 Adams Avenue, Suite No. 200, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
The coaches are not paid much, so the donations will help.
In the coming weeks, I plan to report on fascinating student-athletes and coaches who will be a part of the camp.
Throughout the summer this community can continue to show its strength and donate to the camp.