Happy Friday! Megan here.
Weather check: Rainy weekend
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This week, we're talking summer camp and water quality with a couple of feel-good stories for your Friday morning. Plus, catch the latest Super Simplified headlines
And now, news:
COMMUNITY
How the YMCA is making summer camp accessible for all
Simplified: The Sioux Falls Family YMCA is bringing their annual Camp Leif Ericson to even more kids this summer with a special, free camp this August designed to accommodate kids of all abilities. Here's what you need to know about Give Kids the Woods.
Why it matters
- Give Kids the Woods is inspired in part by the Give Kids the World Village in Florida, which offers critically ill children and their families a weeklong vacation in an accessible theme park environment.
- Locally, the YMCA is expanding that concept to any children with disabilities or diseases that make it tricky for them to attend a traditional summer camp environment. Give Kids the Woods aims to give these kids the same summer camp experiences as their peers without disabilities.
"Imagine that you’re a brother or as sister and you see that your older brother went to camp, and then your older sister went to camp, and then you can’t go to camp," said Mike Turner, executive director of Owen's Outfitters, one of the partner organizations making this event possible. "And you’re like, well, why can’t I go to camp, and the answer is because you’re different."
- The goal with Give Kids the Woods is to preserve the integrity of the camp experience, just with some extra accommodations, said Kadyn Wittman, YMCA development director. Logistically, that means making adaptations like having handicap accessible kayaks, ramps to help kids get up on horses and breath-powered BB guns for shooting practice.
"All kids deserve access to the joy that can be found in nature and in these social settings," Wittman said.
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SUSTAINABILITY
How floating habitats will help water quality
Simplified: A pilot project at Covell Lake this summer will study how a structure with floating plants can create habitat for fish and pollinators as well as improving water quality.
Why it matters
- The project is a partnership between Friends of the Big Sioux River (FBSR) and CNH, the parent company of Raven Industries. The organizations worked together to design and build the floating habitat.
- FBSR Executive Director Travis Entenman said he initially came up with the idea after seeing a similar project in Chicago in which floating habitats help improve sustainability, water quality and habitat access.
- Raven has long been interested in preserving water quality in the Big Sioux River, especially given the business's proximity to the river at its downtown office. The company's sustainability committee often holds river cleanup events, and the FBSR partnership was a natural extension of that, said John Waltz, an electrical design engineer.
"A lot of people like to complain about (the river), but not a lot of people like to do something about it," Waltz said. "So, hopefully, through this project and any attention it gets, I'm hoping to inspire more people to get involved."
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TL;DR
Super Simplified Stories
- Get a free ride. Sioux Area Metro is starting "Summer Fridays" this week in which both fixed-route bus and paratransit buses will be free for all riders. The goal is to increase transit ridership and accessibility – especially after recently extending service hours. SAM On Demand is not part of the deal, but you can check fixed routes here.
- Get AMPT. Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. is bringing back AMPT (Art, Music & Performance Theatre) this summer in an effort to energize downtown in the summer months. There will be 80 free performances between June 1 and Aug. 31 spread across various downtown hotspots. Find more details here.
- Catch one last Headlights show. After five years and 25 performances, Headlights Theater will host its final performance July 25. You might remember this story about the cool stuff they did in our community and their unique performances – let's send 'em off in style. More details here.
THIS AND THAT
What I'm falling for this week:
ICYMI
More Simplified Stories
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
Megan Raposa
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Thank you to Sioux Falls Simplified sponsors, including Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc., Live on Stage, the Sioux Falls YMCA, EmBe, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Barre3 Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Zoo and Aquarium, the Washington Pavilion, and the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. When you support them, you're also supporting Sioux Falls Simplified.
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