[Archived] City Announces Summer Program Registration for the Charles Houston Recreation Center Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  May 23, 2008     

City Announces Summer Program Registration for the Charles Houston Recreation Center Community

The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities will hold summer programs and activities for the Charles Houston Recreation Center community at the Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Recreation Center, 1605 Cameron St., for youth ages 6 to12.  Programs for pre-teens and teens will be held at the George Washington Middle School, 1005 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Summer programs begin Monday, June 23 and continue through Friday, August 15.

Youth Programs include structured activities for participants, as well as opportunities for free play. Activities include sports, games, tournaments, arts and crafts projects, swimming, and reading activities.  Special events include an ice cream social, international food tasting, field day, a pre- Fourth of July cook out, movies and a Show Your Talent contest. In addition, participants will take field trips to the Skate and Fun Zone, Port Discovery, City libraries, the MAC Hoffman Theater, and to Bull Run Park and Pool. Operating hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at the Dr. Oswald Durant Memorial Recreation Center. Children who are residents of the City of Alexandria, between the ages of 6 and 12, are welcome to participate (children 5 years of age may participate if they have completed kindergarten).

The G.W. Power-Up Summer Program, located at the George Washington Middle School, is a summer day camp program for youth ages 11 to 14. Structured, age-appropriate activities, sports, games, arts and crafts, 4-H project clubs, field trips and other special events will be offered. Operating hours are 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

In addition to the Power-Up Summer Program, evening activities for teens will be available at the George Washington Middle School, Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Activities include table games tournaments, video games, pizza parties, movie nights, sports and use of the gymnasium, a weight room with fitness equipment, multi-purpose room, and classrooms. Scheduled field trips include visits to the Skate and Fun Zone, the Cameron Run Wave Pool, and a boat ride to the National Harbor.

For additional information and to register for summer program activities, call the Charles Houston Recreation Center staff at 703.838.4814.

The new Charles Houston Recreation Center, currently under renovation, will provide a new gymnasium, dance room, fitness room, boxing room, children’s game room, computer lab, small outdoor swimming pool, senior center, preschool program, and a community meeting room.  It will also incorporate green building features, such as a vegetated green roof and energy efficient HVAC systems and lighting.  The new center is scheduled to open in late winter of 2009.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  To request a reasonable accommodation or to request material in an alternative format, call Lucky Elliott, Center Director, at 703.838.4814 or by e-mail at lucky.elliott@alexandriava.gov