Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that registration for the Bayonne Recreation Division’s summer camps and activities has surged in 2023.  Mayor Davis said, “Under the leadership of Superintendent Pete Amadeo, registration for the Recreation Division’s summer programs grew from 1,125 in 2022 to 1,645 in 2023. That means that registration jumped by 46.2% from 2022 to 2023.   He continued, “The Recreation Division also added several new specialized camps and activities that have provided great fun and new skills to our young residents.”

By the end of its summer season in mid-August, the Recreation Division will have held nineteen summer camps and related activities. 

The major programs this summer have been the camp at DiDomenico-16th Street Park, the Horace Mann Community School Camp, the Sports Camp, the camp at 1st Street (Dennis P. Collins Park), and the Arts and Crafts Camp. 

The camps at 1st Street, 16th Street, and Horace Mann included such activities as bowling, swimming, ice-skating, visits to the Turtleback Zoo, and trips to the water park in Keansburg.

There have been four camps and related programs this summer for people with special needs: the Ability Day Camp, special needs swimming, special needs sports, and Theater for Everyone.  The Recreation Division offered the theater program in conjunction with the Papermill Playhouse in Millburn. (Note:  The Buddy Baseball program began in the springtime, before summer camp season.)

The Recreation Division provided swimming lessons, basketball, a two-day baseball program, and a two-day softball program. 

The Recreation Division also offered Chess, Skateboarding, Robotics, Culinary Skills, Carpentry, Fashion Design, and Hair Styling for Kids.  

Pete Amadeo said, “We offered all of these activities, so that kids could choose whatever would be fun for them, either traditional summer day camps or specialized programs.  We were happy to be able to offer them so many great choices this summer.”

Mayor Davis concluded, “The City of Bayonne is very proud of the nineteen camps and related activities that our Recreation Division administered this summer.  We are very happy that so many young residents had fun.  I would like to thank Pete Amadeo, the Recreation Division staff, and our summer employees for making this season a great success. We will look forward to planning a great set of camps and programs for next summer.”