Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles (JBBBSLA) held its 27th Annual Camp Bob Waldorf Golf Classic on Monday, June 28that Valencia Country Club. Thanks to the tremendous leadership from Golf Committee Co-Chairs Steve Miller and Joey Behrstock, the event quickly sold out to over 140 new and returning players who joined for a day on the links to support children in need throughout Los Angeles. For many supporters, the tournament marked the first in-person charity event since Los Angeles reopened following closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds raised will enable low-income children to attend Camp Bob Waldorf (CBW), at no cost to campers and their families. JBBBSLA has owned and operated Camp Bob Waldorf in Glendale for over 80 years.
This year, JBBBSLA raised more than $300,000 from golfers, family foundations, and institutional sponsors who share a commitment to giving back to youth-in-need seeking a dynamic camp experience.
“Many of the campers who come to Camp Bob Waldorf experience food insecurity, homelessness, or grow up in high-crime neighborhoods,” JBBBSLA CEO Cari Uslan said. “A week at camp means they can leave that all behind and create lifelong memories with other kids. Today’s generous supporters make all the difference for running our camp and delivering an incredible camp program to kids throughout Los Angeles.”
Thanks to community support, all campers receive partial or full financial aid. This annual event ensures vulnerable youth can go to camp and develop valuable life skills, develop strong characters, and become future leaders.
In 2020, Camp Bob Waldorf pivoted quickly to create an engaging virtual camp experience to comply with COVID-19 health guidelines. In planning for 2021 JBBBSLA collaborated with the County to create a safe and responsible in-person camp for the summer. In accordance with guidance from public health professionals, JBBBSLA will be hosting its first-ever day camp and each session will include campers from distinct geographic areas in Los Angeles to reduce any transmission of the COVID-19 variants, in addition to strict masking and social distancing requirements.
Camp Bob Waldorf Director Simon Hansen expressed his appreciation for the community support of this year’s Golf Classic. Hansen said, “Camp Bob Waldorf is the best place on Earth for kids to build self-confidence, form lifelong friendships, and create positive experiences they will look back on for the rest of their lives. My staff and our incredible counselors instill the four pillars of Respect, Community, Identity and Inclusion at Camp Bob Waldorf and we all work hard through our programming to ensure every camper grasps the importance of carrying these pillars into their lives.”
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