A Deep Breath of Summer Air

Summer is again upon us. Our thoughts turn to lake swimming and beach-blanket picnics.

Unless, that is, you're a kid who's never been to a lake or a beach. For many kids, summer is about hot city sidewalks and even hotter city apartments.

If, as author Richard Louv asserts, children who are deprived of the great outdoors come to suffer from "nature-deficit disorder," then someone better help these kids to a getaway.

Enter the Fresh Air Fund, an organization that has been offering inner-city kids the experience of getting outside since 1877. The Fund gives New York children the opportunity to escape the urban cauldron, whether they can pay for it or not.

The Fund’s Friendly Town program sends almost 5,000 children every summer to vacation with suburban and rural host families who can offer an out-of-city experience. Other children attend one of the Fund's five camps on Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill, N.Y., 65 miles north of the city. Each year, 3,000 children fish, hike, play sports and get up close to plants and animals on 2,300 acres of beautiful wild land.

Since its beginning, the Fund has given 1.7 million kids from some of New York's toughest corners the valuable opportunity to get a little fresh air. Here's hoping this summer's participants get a good, deep breath.