The Veterans Recreation Center still has spaces available for its traditional all day summer camp at the end of July and beginning of August.

A brand new Veterans Recreation Center was built five and a half years ago as the only rec center in Lehigh. The 38,000 square foot facility is attached to an 81-acre park, which offers a boulder, traditional and splash playground, a large pavilion with chairs, tables and a full kitchen, four lighted tennis courts, a half mile track, two covered and lighted basketball courts, two lighted softball fields and a skateboard course.

Facility Supervisor Colleen Via said the center has been hosting summer camps for the youth for more than 20 years. We have been providing programs for families of Lehigh for a long time, she said.

“We definitely cater a lot to the families,” she said. “I think we are a huge family oriented community because the homes are a little less expensive, so you can buy a house and raise a family.”

Via said they have a huge traditional all day summer camp that has already began this summer for the youth aged 5-13. The camp is from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., Via said, although most parents pick up their children around 4 p.m.

She said the 14 members of the summer camp staff, who are temporary, all work within the school board system.

“We are able to hire the best of the best for all of the camps,” Via said. “Everyone is a youth oriented person.”

She said the summer camp attracts 220 youngsters every week, with 180 of them participating in the youth camp and 40 in the teen camp.

The youth summer camp is broken down into groups of 15, so they can rotate throughout the stations until approximately 4 p.m. The day usually consists of an unstructured time in the morning and afternoon, a snack and activities indoors and outdoors.

Via said they have some openings left for the week of July 26, August 2 and August 9. She said the camp is $67 per week or $60 a week if registered online at www.leeparks.org.

Another popular program, Via said is the semi-structured afterschool program called Club Rec.

The program, which is offered for 2nd to 12-grade students attract school aged youngsters who attend schools close to the center, she said.

“It is a very popular program because it is so inexpensive,” she said.

Club Rec, which is already full for the fall school year, is $200 for the entire year. Via said the only requirement for the basic after school program is the children have to attend three days a week because they want to provide a service for those who really need it.

“We do offer a really great program for the kids,” Via said. She said the programs are truly priced for people who cannot afford after school care.

Via said they also offer programs all year around for the entire family, which include some classes like oil painting, peewee gym and Picasso, turbo kick fitness, zumba, gentle yoga flow, Shintaiwa and youth karate/Tae Kwon Do.

For more information visit www.leeparks.org or call (239) 369-1521. Veterans Community Park is located at 55 Homestead Road.