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Fresh Air Kids Get Warm, Wet Welcome

July 15, 2009 - SCARBOROUGH — Edward McGarrity was with a visitor from New York City last summer when they came across a scene that highlighted the gulf between the city and his suburban neighborhood.

A bike lay unattended outdoors. A sign attached simply read "free."

McGarrity said that's common in his neighborhood, where many children ride hand-me-down bikes.

His visitor, 12-year-old Joel Perez, couldn't believe it.

"Joel was like, 'That bike's free?'" McGarrity said.

Joel lives in the Bronx. For the past four years, he has visited McGarrity's family through the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit organization that has sponsored vacations in the country for children from low-income New York City families since 1877.

Joel began his latest Maine vacation Wednesday afternoon, when he and 23 other children met their host families after a long bus ride.

McGarrity and his wife and four children waited in the driving rain to meet their summer visitor. They plan to take in a Portland Sea Dogs game, go out on a lobster boat and visit a children's museum during his three-week stay.

There also will be plenty of time to ride bikes around the neighborhood – something that's difficult on crowded city streets, McGarrity said.

"We're very lucky to live in Maine," he said.

Fresh Air Fund participants spend as long as three weeks in one of 13 Northeastern states or Canada. They live with host families, volunteers who often take them on camping, hiking, beach and farm trips.

The annual vacations are a drastic change of scenery and lifestyle for many participants, volunteers said.

"Some of these kids don't know how to ride a bike. A lot of them don't know how to swim," said Lisa Clement of Falmouth, chairwoman of the town's Fresh Air Fund program.

Host families and visitors often form tight bonds: The McGarritys keep in touch with Joel and his family during the school year.

Clement said 180 children visited central, coastal and southern Maine through the program last year. The new vacation season started this month – the first busload of Maine-bound children arrived in Topsham last week – and will continue through August.

Many of the latest Fresh Air visitors have come to Maine through the program before. Some, such as Kimbe Starks of Brooklyn, set foot in the state for the first time Wednesday.

Kimbe said she's eager to play sports and hang out with her host family's two daughters. Her first impression of Maine?

"Sometimes it rains a lot," said Kimbe, 8, who will stay in Cape Elizabeth for the next week.

Host Laura Young Connelly greeted her visitor with a brightly colored sign that read, "Hi Kimbe! Welcome to Maine."

Young Connelly said she hopes the rainy weather will break long enough for some strawberry picking during Kimbe's visit. Her family lives next to a farm, so it will be a big change in scenery for a visitor from Brooklyn, she said.

Joel said he has enjoyed the excursions he has taken with his host family in the past few years, particularly trips to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Joel said he keeps coming to Maine because of the company.

"Hanging out with these people," Joel said, pointing to the McGarritys. "It's fun."

By ELBERT AULL, Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald, July 9, 2009



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