There won't be any summer camp in Peoria — at least for the first half of the season.
Peoria Park District Executive Director Emily Cahill said they made the difficult decision to cancel camp through July 3.
“We know that kids and families look forward to camp each summer — and we do too,” she said. “But our decision came down to our commitment to ensuring the safety and quality of experience for every camper at each of our locations, and we just couldn’t find a path that met that promise.”
Cahill said around 225 kids were already enrolled in camp at the district's five locations this summer. She said refunds for those families will be issued starting Tuesday and should be processed within seven to ten days.
Day camp could potentially start up the week of July 6, Cahill said, depending on the circumstances at the time. She said they'll rely on the guidance of local and state health officials to make that decision.
“If the governor approves the regional plan — and certainly we are crossing our fingers that if that plan allows us to serve our community in different ways — we would certainly take a look at it,” she said. “At the end of the day, our priority is public health and we’re going to take our cue from those leaders to make sure we’re doing what’s safe for the community.”
In addition to safety concerns, Cahill said staffing is also an issue. There are currently around 30 park district employees on furlough. More will begin working reduced hours this week.
Cahill said the COVID-19 crisis has also put a pause on summer hiring.
“At this time of year, we would have had 450 part-time employees on our payroll at this point that we have not been able to bring back, as part of cost-saving measures,” she said.
As for other summer activities, Cahill said it's still unclear when larger gathering sites like the RiverPlex, Peoria Zoo, and Peoria Playhouse Children's Museum will be able to reopen.
We’re living in unprecedented times when information changes by the minute. WCBU will continue to be here for you, keeping you up-to-date with the live, local and trusted news you need. Help ensure WCBU can continue with its in-depth and comprehensive COVID-19 coverage as the situation evolves by making a contribution.
