Portlaoise Educate Together N.S. Sports & Activity Summer Camp
The Sports and Activity Summer Camp, hosted by Portlaoise Educate Together N.S., is the brainchild of Tim Stapleton and Darach Kennedy, two of the school’s teachers. The school has been running a very successful afterschool program in recent years and Tim and Darach have been key figures in this program. The afterschool program reached dizzying heights this year with over 30 after-school activities in 2017, ranging from regular sports to African drumming and knitting.
Tim and Darach were heavily involved in sports as youths and continue currently as adults. They decided to set up the first ever ‘Sports and Activity Camp with Tim and Darach’ for primary school pupils. The concept is simple: to promote health and fitness mixed with fun! The camp begins the moment the school’s academic doors close with five days of jam packed fun lined up for its pupils.
Some of the activities available to camp goers vary from traditional sports like hurling, rugby, football, soccer to dodgeball, water bombing, bull dog and a summer disco, with the re-opening of the Funky Café!
The two motivated teachers have had a lot to organise, but not deterred they wanted to offer each camp goer something extra special. So with a lot of hard work they managed to bag themselves two camp sponsors. Avid camp supporters, Karen and David Cosgrove from Portlaoise Dental, Church Street came on with an extremely generous donation which means each paid camper gets a free camp t-shirt (while stocks last)! They also got health and fitness guru Nigel Pearson from Pearson Fitness Performance, Father Brown Avenue who made a generous donation for much needed camp equipment.
Tim Stapleton, Sponsors Karen and David Cosgrove, Darach Kennedy
‘Both sponsors have been amazing and so quick to help out’, said Darach Kennedy, ‘We hope the camp will be a great success and that we can build on the concept for 2018!’
Tim Stapleton added, ‘each camper is guaranteed to have 100% fun, we’re both looking forward to next Friday.’