Richard Ledesma Sr., left, of the Highland Park Kiwanis Club accompanied a group of boys from the Hathaway-Sycamores Highland Park Family Resource Center on a two-week trip to the Sierra Nevadas and Sequoia National Park last month.
Story Created:
Sep 23, 2009 at 7:43 PM PST
Story Updated:
Sep 24, 2009 at 11:47 AM PST
HIGHLAND PARK — A group of 18 boys, ages 12 to 14, last month traded their local surroundings for the tranquility of the High Sierras and Sequoia National Park during a nearly two-week stay at the R.M. Pyles Boys Camp.
Hathaway-Sycamores Highland Park Family Resource Center coordinated the trip by selecting deserving youngsters who participate in the center’s youth programs.
Designed to build on leadership lessons taught at the center, the camp stay featured outdoor activities from horseback riding to archery and fishing. The wilderness experience was made possible by the Highland Park Kiwanis Club.
“We really appreciate the Highland Park Kiwanis Club’s generous support,” said Hathaway-Sycamores President and CEO William Martone. “Among our organization’s goals is to expose youngsters to life-expanding and life-affirming experiences, and this camping trip certainly fits in that category.”
Seven years ago, under the direction of then-President Richard Ledesma Sr., the Highland Park Kiwanis Club began sponsoring camp stays for local boys. Ledesma accompanied the boys on their recent trip and shared with them his life experiences.
“Who would have thought that someone like me — a teen from East Los Angeles — would grow up to become a police officer and a co-founder of the Los Angeles Historical Society and Museum,” Ledesma said. “You can become more than you think you can if you take good advice from others.”
The Hathaway Sycamores Highland Park Family Resource Center, at 840 N. Avenue 66, provides community-based services that include early childhood programs, youth enrichment activities, individual and family counseling, and computer learning center.
It is a division of Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, one of the largest, nonprofit, private children’s mental health and welfare agencies in Los Angeles County.
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