Ambria Hall, center, arrived last week for a Fresh Air vacation in Ridgefield with the O’Brien family. That’s Jake O’Brien, left, and Mario O’Brien, right, with dogs Tony and Monty. This is Ambria’s third summer here. —Dani Blum photo
Berry picking in the backyard. Lemonade by the pool. A walk down Main Street in the sun.
The elements of summer most Ridgefielders take for granted can make a huge difference in a child’s life — if they’re from the city.
Throughout the summer, 31 Fresh Air Funds kids will be arriving from New York City to experience a summer in Ridgefield. The program aims to expose city kids ages 6 to 18 to life in the country.
“We know how to summer in Ridgefield,” said Lisa Harder, Ridgefield’s Fresh Air Fund coordinator. “Adding an extra kid into our regular summers — swimming, fireflies, picnics — is easily done for some families and huge for a kid who might spend the entire summer in a hot apartment.”
There are more host families this year than there have been in the past, Mrs. Harder said. This boost is largely due to the work of Maggie McSpedon, a rising senior at Ridgefield High School.
“Maggie’s efforts have been terrific,” she said.
Maggie spent her free time this past year promoting the program at churches and Boy Scout meetings. She’s also talked to clients at her mom’s fitness studio, the Pilates Barre.
“It’s been a lot of word of mouth,” Maggie said.
Maggie wanted to challenge townwide misconceptions about the program. “So many people have the idea that [hosting] is such a commitment. It’s not. It’s so simple.”
“You’re not adopting someone for 10 years; it’s 10 days in the summer. It’s helping someone.”
She plans to continue her efforts next year. “Hopefully what we’ve been doing will get more people to host. It’s just sad … every year a bus comes to take the Fresh Air kids to Ridgefield, and every year kids who weren’t accepted [to the program] come along anyway to watch them leave. There just aren’t enough families taking kids.”
The McSpedons have been hosting Angelica, a girl from Brooklyn, for four years. “We’ve gotten so close,” Maggie said. “We just meshed.”
“It’s an amazing program,” Maggie said. “The simple everyday things … [Angelica] cherishes them so much. She’s so appreciative. You can see it.”
“It’s not only us teaching the kids, but them teaching us how to interact with someone who’s led a completely different life. I learned how to teach them lessons, and through doing that it reminded me how to lead my life.”
She believes the program makes a real impact on those who come to Ridgefield. “By being able to take them out of the city, you’re able to show them different aspects of the world. And it takes you out of your bubble. It’s broadened my horizons.”
What’s Maggie’s favorite part of the program?
“I get to have a sister for a week.”
She’s not the only fan of the program.
Ambria Hall, an 11-year-old from Queens, says the best part of coming to Ridgefield is “meeting all the awesome families.”
She’s stayed with the O’Brien family for two years now.
“We both felt like the boys would enjoy having more kids around,” Ann O’Brien said on her decision to host.
Ambria “got along right away” with Mario and Jake O’Brien, ages 12 and 10 respectively. “They’re cool, friendly, and easy-going,” she said.
Ann O’Brien feels the Fresh Air Fund has helped her family. It has brought out her sons’ “natural potential to be friends with kids from different backgrounds. Because Ridgefield is where it is, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to interact with different kids and to strengthen that skill set.”
Mrs. O’Brien advises families on the fence about hosting to “just give it a try.”
“You’ll want to do it again,” added her son Jake.
When asked if she wanted to come back to Ridgefield next summer, Ambria grinned. “Definitely.”
Ambria thinks the biggest difference between Ridgefield and Queens is that Ridgefielders go to sleep earlier. “They wear me out,” she said.
In the week she’s been here, Ambria’s participated in the Boys and Girls Club’s summer camp, basketball, swimming, camping, and blueberry picking. Her favorite activity, besides sleeping with the O’Briens’ dogs, is go to the camp.
The camp, which runs from 8 to 5 Monday through Friday, is free to all Fresh Air Fund kids and “has been absolutely amazing,” said Mrs. O’Brien.
The camp makes it possible for even families with working parents to host kids.
Christina and Paul Calabro, who both work full time, hosted for the first time this year.
“We couldn’t have done it without the Boys and Girls Club,” Mrs. Calabro said. The eight-year-old boy she hosted, Max, went to camp each day with her son, Christian. He also spent time with her nine-year-old daughter, Samantha.
“It gave the kids an opportunity to spend time with someone with a different lifestyle, and vice versa,” said Mrs. Calabro. “Max would say, ‘I’ve never seen so many trees,’ and ‘Everything’s so big here.’” She hopes Max will stay with them next summer.
Thirteen-year-old twins Devon and Devonte Otero are also grateful for the camp, which they listed as their favorite thing to do in Ridgefield.
They’ve been coming to Ridgefield since they were six years old.
“My family doesn’t see me as a Fresh Air Fund kid,” said Devon. “They see me as their kid.”
Devon said he sees his family throughout the year. “They take me skiing,” he said. “We go to Vermont a lot. I’ve been to Maine, Georgia, and other places.”
“It’s fun and a great experience,” said Devonte. “We get to meet new people and hang out, and get to know what they like and don’t like.” He said that Ridgefield was extremely different from the city.
Will Sykes, a 15-year-old from the Bronx, agreed. “It’s much quieter here. Everything’s a lot nicer. [Ridgefield is] safer.”
Will was last week’s Boys and Girls Club leader in training. Each week the club selects one girl and one boy who demonstrate leadership within their camp groups and exemplify the best of the club. He said going to the Boys and Girls Club was one of his favorite things to do in town.
Aidan Slayer, a 14-year-old who has worked with Fresh Air Fund kids at the Boys and Girls Club, said his family plans to host a kid next summer. “It’d be cool. It’s important to be helpful to the less fortunate.” He and his four siblings are looking forward to having another kid around.
Hosting “has opened my eyes to different lifestyles,” said Tara Stokes, a rising senior at Ridgefield High School, whose family is currently hosting a 12-year-old boy named Jameek. “It’s shown me the changes little things can make.” This is the Stokes family’s fourth year of hosting.
Mary Bryne and Martin Gold, who hosted for the first time this year, also found the experience broadening. “It opens your eyes in ways they might not have been opened before,” Ms. Bryne said. The couple typically weekend in Ridgefield and live in New York during the week, but they were able to clear their schedules and spend a week in town in order to host Angie, a nine-year-old girl.
“She was continually amazed,” Martin said. “She was absolutely overwhelmed by the size of Stop & Shop.”
“It all went very well,” he added.
The program will continue again next year, with, it is hoped, even more participants. “We are getting some nice momentum,” Mrs. Harder said. But even so, “More host families would be good!”