Camp gives kids options at night

For an elementary school student, going to the IMAX, watching a RiverDogs game and learning to create art could be a good alternative to just hanging out in the evenings.

At least that's what more than 20 community groups are willing to bet with the creation of Camp Hope, a late evening pilot program at Fraser Elementary School with the goal of educating and entertaining.

"It gives the kids something to do because there are a lot of day camps going on but there's nothing in the evening," Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis said.

The camp, which begins June 18, will run from 6-9 p.m.

Camp staff members at Fraser Elementary chose 45 students ages 7 to 12 to try out the five-week program.

"We've targeted children who probably need mentors, and it would be helpful for them to be engaged in extracurricular activities," Fraser Elementary interim principal Annette Gadsden said Friday after a news conference that included Mayor Joe Riley.

If the program is a success, it might be expanded to include more community resource centers in Charleston and the surrounding areas.

"We've sent our applications, we're getting good responses, and hopefully we'll get the 45 kids we need," Gadsden said.

Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen is part of a Furman University leadership group where the idea for the camp originated.

"We know during the summer there's potential for people to make bad choices," Mullen said.