ping pong table: Despite camp's success, its future is uncertain

As North Bay Village PAL's first summer camp draws to a close, the organizer, city officials and campers are happy with the results, but the status of a camp next year is still up in the air.
BY EMILY STEVENS
Miami Herald Writer
It has been a summer of firsts for North Bay Village Police Athletic League.

Not only did the PAL hold its first summer camp, but for many of the 45 or so children who participated, some outings marked their first experiences with activities like horseback riding and museum tours.

Consider a camp outing earlier this month to the ice rink at Miami Beach's Scott Rakow Youth Center: With wobbly legs and uncertain expressions, many of the children clung to the railing as they navigated their way on the ice. Some took their chances and attempted to skate unassisted -- many times slipping and sliding on the ice before falling down.

Experience was no guarantee of success, noted 10-year-old Mercedes Leguizamon.

''I've been [ice skating] a couple of times, but I'm not very good,'' she said. ``It's still fun, though.''

Leguizamon, who attends Biscayne Elementary, deemed most of the field trips to be ``fun.''

''Normally, I would be relaxing at my house watching TV, but I'd rather be here at camp,'' she said during the Rakow outing. ``Going bowling was my favorite [field trip] because it was fun making so many strikes and having fun with my friends.''

Victor Accove, an 11-year-old who attends Treasure Island Elementary, said his best camp memory is making new friends. Well, that and the field trip to Dave and Buster's, ``because there's so many games to play and so many prizes to win.''

The rave reviews are music to the ears of North Bay Village detective Lisa Gittner, a 15-year veteran of the department who has overseen the PAL since it was created last year. Memories of her childhood involvement with a PAL summer camp in the Bronx motivated her to create the camp.

Her family couldn't afford to send her to any of the other summer camps offered in that area, she says, so she was grateful for the police officers who took the time to find her a place in their PAL camp.

''I remember the day I was playing Ping-Pong with a police officer. I never imagined it would affect my life, but it came back full circle because now here I am playing Ping-Pong with them,'' she said, refering to her young campers this summer.

Aside from Ping-Pong and trips to area gaming centers, the children have also been horseback riding at Enchanted Forest Park in North Miami and gone to the movies and area museums. Gittner said she also tries to make sure even the days spent at the school aren't lacking in activities.

With funding from the North Bay Village Police Department, Gittner purchased two air hockey tables, two foosball tables, a pool table, a Ping-Pong table and water toys. She makes sure the snack cabinet stays stocked.

The campers also have had a luau, arts and crafts days, a water sports day -- including an inflatable pool and Slip-N-Slides -- and played numerous basketball tournaments at school.

'I said, `I'm gonna open a camp if it kills me,' and it almost did,'' Gittner said.

''I had to go out and buy all this stuff,'' she said in reference to the games set up in Room 24 at the school.

Funding for equipment, supplies, lunches, outings and insurance came from the city of North Bay Village and police department, and costs were offset by registration and weekly fees.

Most of the children in the camp live in North Bay Village, but some from Miami Beach attended if space was available.

Gittner said the funding was sufficient for this summer, but its future summers are uncertain.

''We need a lot of help from the community to keep this program going,'' she said. ``I have no permanent facility. I don't know if the principal will let us have the class again. Plus I'll have to put everything in storage at the end of the summer.''

For a memorable finale this week, Gittner plans an overnight canoeing and camping trip in Arcadia at Peace River, to be sponsored by the North Bay Village PAL and the Miami Rotary Club. Campers and their parents are invited to enjoy the outdoors and spend the night in sleeping bags inside cabins or tents -- all at no additional cost.

North Bay Village Mayor Joseph Geller said he was grateful for everyone who helped make the camp a success, calling it ''a great thing'' and ``a terrific opportunity for our citizens.''

''One of our focuses over the past few years has been trying to find things for our young people to do,'' he said. ``And having this camp that's open to anybody in North Bay Village is an opportunity for the kids to have some fun while being properly supervised; and parents can feel confident that their kids are safe.''

Commissioner Tzvi Bogomilski agreed, saying the camp is ``a major step for North Bay Village.''

''It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it because we've never had anything like this before,'' Gittner said. ``The turnout has been amazing.''