Children arrive in county in quest for Fresh Air

Intelligencer Journal
Lancaster New Era

Jul 04, 2009 10:03 EST

Leola

By DIANA MARTIN, Staff Writer

"It's quiet and peaceful here," said 12-year-old Shanikqua Broner, better known as "Precious," after stepping off a coach bus Friday afternoon.

Her home in the Bronx, N.Y., seemed worlds away as she stood in the parking lot at Groffdale Mennonite Church in Leola, a cornfield and tractors on the horizon.

Shanikqua, through the Fresh Air Fund, will have an opportunity to stay on a dairy farm until Aug. 11.

"We have a little Old McDonald farm," said Carol Martin, who has been hosting Shanikqua for several summers. "We have goats and chickens, dogs and cats, rabbits.

" … I remember the first night that she was here, she was chasing the fireflies — just chasing and chasing," Martin said.

She said that one summer, on the last night of her stay, Shanikqua decided to ride the family's billy goat.

"She just loves it. We do not have TV or Internet, and the main word she says she experiences when she's here is 'freedom.' "

Shanikqua is one of about 60 children who arrived in Lancaster County on Friday from New York City as part of The Fresh Air Fund.

The children, ages 6 to 18, stay for a week and a half or longer.

The Fresh Air Fund was started in 1877 as a way to help New York City children escape a tuberculosis epidemic, for which "fresh air" was thought to be a cure.

Now, the program allows inner-city children to enjoy a free summer vacation in one of 13 states or Canada.

"The kids are probably a little different than they were back then, but they still enjoy it," Barbara Horst, a local organizer, said.

"They can hear the birds singing, see the stars in the sky. They can walk barefoot," she said.

"There's so much nature they can participate in that they would never have a chance to do."

For one girl, that would be an understatement.

"I love bugs," 12-year-old Meah Farlow said after picking up her suitcases and hugging her host family. "Bugs and worms and anything that crawls."

"We thought she wouldn't like bugs because she's from the city," her host mother, Joyce Hurst, said. "But the first year she wanted worms to take home. One year she took ingredients to make peppermint tea. And last year she took home a crayfish."

"The crayfish only survived two weeks," Meah said. "My Mom said, 'Is that a lobster or something?' I was like, 'No, Mom, it's a pet!' "

Meah has been staying with the Hursts and their five children for several years, yet she is still in awe of the area.

"There are horses walking around, cows just doing whatever they want," she said. "And they have the best pets. They have a pet raccoon!"

"Thousands and thousands" of New York City children have come to Lancaster County since the area began participating in the Fresh Air Fund 118 years ago, Horst said.

However, she has noticed a drop in the number of visitors. This summer, Lancaster County will host about 200 children over the course of four sessions. The sessions run July 3 to July 20, July 20 to Aug. 3, Aug. 3 to Aug. 11 and Aug. 11 to Aug. 21.

But Horst remembers when she first started with the program 40 years ago, Lancaster was hosting about 900 children each summer.

"Years ago there were a lot more," she said, "but a lot of mothers are working now, and they can't take another child."

Several local companies have gotten involved with the Fund, allowing free admittance to attractions for the children and sometimes reducing fares for entire families.

According to Horst, companies such as Hersheypark, Sight & Sound, Choo Choo Barn, Hands on House and American Music Theatre extend special prices to Fresh Air Fund participants.

Several families plan to take advantage of those deals, such as the Nolts, who met their host child, Richie Cerezo, 8, for the first time Friday.

"We'll go swimming, maybe see Herr's potato chips, the Choo Choo Barn, Chuck E Cheese's," Elaine Nolt said.

After the family explained to Richie what the Choo Choo Barn was ("these little trains go around"), Elaine explained why she got involved with the program.

"My parents hosted a Fresh Air child when I was a kid, and I wanted my children to experience that," she said.

The Fund is looking for host families for later in the summer, especially those interested in hosting children ages 9 to 12. Host families must fill out an application, have a background check and be willing to let someone from the Fresh Air Fund inspect their home.

For more information, call Barbara Horst at 859-1994.

E-mail: dmartin@lnpnews.com