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Son of a Saint Sends More than 100 Boys on Summer Camp Adventures Across the Country

NEW ORLEANS – Son of a Saint, the New Orleans-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of fatherless boys, proudly announces the success of its 2024 summer camp experiences. In 2024, Son of a Saint sent more than 100 of its young mentees to summer camps both locally and across the United States. These locations and destinations include nearly 20 different sites, opportunities, and experiences, all provided to Son of a Saint’s mentees at no cost, and leveraged by the organization’s talented programs team at a highly reduced rate or with no direct budgetary expenditures.

Summer camp is one of the most important elements of Son of a Saint’s program model, exposing its mentees to enriching experiences, broadening their horizons, teaching them new skills, and building positive, lasting peer-to-peer relationships. Son of a Saint’s dynamic summer camp adventures offer space for its young men to freely learn, grow, and develop their capabilities.

“Our summer camp program is a cornerstone of what we do here, year in and year out, and remains an annual highlight for our boys,” said Son of a Saint Founder and CEO Bivian “Sonny” Lee III. “These camps provide our mentees with unique opportunities to explore new environments, gain confidence, and form lasting friendships. It’s an adolescent rite of passage, and we are incredibly proud to offer these transformative experiences that empower our boys to become well-rounded and resilient young men.”

The 2024 summer camp destinations provide a diverse range of activities for Son of a Saint’s mentees, from outdoor adventures and sports camps to academic enrichment and leadership development programs. Nationwide camp locations include:

  • Camp Belknap (Mirror Lake, New Hampshire)
  • Camp Coniston (Grantham, New Hampshire)
  • Camp Foley (Pine River, Minnesota)
  • Camp Jameson Indianapolis, Indiana)
  • Camp Ojibwa (Eagle River, Wisconsin)
  • Camp Rockmont (Black Mountain, North Carolina)
  • Camp Skylemar (Naples, Maine)
  • Camp Winona (Bridgton, Maine)
  • Excite Academy (New Orleans, Louisiana)
  • Justise Winslow and Robin Family Foundation Camp Experience (Houston, Texas)
  • Live Oak Camp (Wiggins, Mississippi)
  • OBAP Ace Academy @ Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans, Louisiana)
  • Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) (Robert, Louisiana)
  • Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation Camp (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Student Leadership Academy – WW2 Museum (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Highlights of this year’s summer camp experiences include:

  • Outdoor Adventure Camps: Mentees experienced the great outdoors through hiking, camping, and wilderness survival skills, fostering a love for nature and environmental stewardship.
  • Sports Camps: Young athletes honed their skills in basketball, football, soccer, and other sports, emphasizing teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness.
  • Academic Enrichment Camps: Mentees engaged in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs, boosting their academic curiosity and problem-solving abilities.
  • Leadership Development Programs: Camps focused on building leadership skills, self-confidence, and community service, preparing mentees to be future leaders.

The impact of these summer camp experiences extends beyond the duration of the camps, providing lasting memories and valuable life skills that Son of a Saint mentees carry with them throughout their lives.

“We are deeply grateful to our partners, donors, and supporters who make these summer camp experiences possible,” added Lee. “Their generosity and commitment to our mission enable us to continue offering these life-changing opportunities at no cost to our mentees and their families.”

In addition to the away camps where mentees have the opportunity to travel, Son of a Saint also provides local and in-house summer programming for its boys, including its Summer Academy experience. During the Son of a Saint Summer Academy, mentees balance continued learning and educational programs, such as nutrition workshops, financial literacy, public speaking, and debate, with recreational outings and adventures like swamp tours, games, swimming lessons, and fishing trips. Each element of summer at Son of a Saint is intentionally designed to promote self-discovery and growth and to create unforgettable memories along the way.

Originally founded in 2011, Son of a Saint holistically supports youth between the ages of 10 and 21, providing mentorship, education, mental health services, travel experiences to expand horizons, as well as internship and career-development learning opportunities. The holistic, long-term, and preventative program currently serves 350 young people across Greater New Orleans, including its cohort of more than 200 full-time mentees, as well as mentee alumni, and additional tuition scholarship recipients via its Son of a Saint Scholars program. The organization remains steadfast in its mission to inspire and uplift young boys, cultivating a supportive community that empowers them to break barriers and achieve success.

For more information about Son of a Saint, its current activities, upcoming opportunities, and ways to get involved, please visit www.sonofasaint.org or call (504) 561-7508. Son of a Saint also welcomes other contributions, which can be mailed to: P.O. Box 19205, New Orleans, LA 70179.

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