By Tamas Mondovics
Ahead of its busy summer season and, as a way to draw attention to its diverse educational and athletic programs, the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center has routinely hosted its annual Summer Camp Open House event.
This year, however, the festivities scheduled for Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m-2 p.m, will be extra special as the center commemorates a major achievement by celebrating five decades of serving the community.
Established in May of 1963, the center now serves hundreds of children per day through its array of sports, after school and early childhood programs.
The center is also currently the home of Team TRIDENT, a physical education and academic program for intellectually disabled adults and youth.
According to BSAC officials, the 2013 Summer Camp Open House program will include a commemoration ceremony with several local dignitaries in attendance and will feature sports demonstrations including Team Colwill Diving, Ten and Under Tennis, Strikers Pride Soccer and Pat Thomas’s Fit New Focus Living Sport Fit BOOT Camp just to name a few.
Water safety information, carnival games, food and open swimming will complete the special day of celebration.
“Our success is due to our commitment to this community and our focus on quality programming
at affordable prices,” said BSAC Executive Director, Chuck Burgess. “Parents bring their children here for superior educational and athletic programming. Our facility is a place where they can thrive and learn to make lifetime fitness choices among positive peer influences.”
Burgess was especially proud of the center’s commitment to provide free services to a variety of organizations within the Brandon and surrounding area communities.
“We see over 800 children here per day, and we provide pro-Bono services for several local Boys and Girls’ Clubs, The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, local boy scout troops, discounted services to military families, and more,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of all the coaches and staff at BSAC, Burgess said that while the center’s commitment to its members is a major contributing factor to its long-standing-success, the feeling between the ever-growing facility and the community has always been mutual.
Summer Camp Open House
Commemoration Ceremony – 10:00 a.m.
Sports Demonstrations – 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Open Swimming – 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
For more information about the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center educational and athletic programs, please call 689-0908.
