Camp gives children chance to cool off

Air Force Senior Airman Lucas Ward was prepared for the last day of the Grovetown Against Drugs Summer Day Camp on Friday.

He arrived at Goodale Park with nearly 1,000 water balloons packed in the bed of his truck.

"We spent, like, four hours blowing them up," Ward said with a laugh about the impending water balloon and water gun attack on the 65 children attending the camp Friday.

Ward and other members of the Air Force's 31st Intelligence Squadron have been volunteering at the camp for several years. This year was Ward's second straight year to work at the camp.

"We come out here on our free time, our days off," Ward said. "I love doing this out here."

Much like the children who attended the camp, Ward excitedly ran across the baseball field, where a Grovetown Department of Public Safety officer was cooling campers off with sprays from a firehose.

Alex Williams, 8, of Grovetown, showed the pink signs of sunburn on her shoulders as she dashed in the spray.

"This is the best part because afterwards we get ice cream," Alex said of the firehose.

Public safety Capt. Gary Owens said the children spent the weeklong camp playing games such as the water balloon toss and merry-go-round race, baseball, soccer, tennis, basketball, checkers and kickball.

"The last day has always been popular," Owens said. "It's pizza and ice cream day."

For the first time in its 13-year history, children gathered for camp without its founder, former City Councilwoman Marjorie Adams, who died Feb. 12 from complications of a December stroke.

"Its kind of strange. This was her baby," Grovetown Public Safety officer Robert Eastman said. "The only thing that is missing is the cakes ... She loved to bake cakes."

Adams was a permanent feature in the camp kitchen.

"She's here," Owens said with a smile.

Public safety Chief A.L. Robinson said this year's camp was the biggest yet, with between 45 and 65 children each day.

"We got a bigger turnout this year than we expected," Robinson said. "We ended up with about $1,700 in cash donations (from businesses). That's what pays for the camp."

Tre's Randolph, 7, of Grovetown, said he liked being sprayed down and playing all the other sports. But "the best part about summer camp is having friends that you get to play with there," he said.