SAVE CAMP WILLIAM PENN

Dear Mr. Nutter,

On February 14, 2008, you released your new budget proposal to the media here in Philadelphia. Within the budget, you outlined that you will no longer provide funding for Camp William Penn.

We, the undersigned, are urging you that this can simply not happen.

During your campagin for mayor, a huge part of your campaign platform was dedicated to ending the extreme rash of violence in the city. Analyzing statistics, you will see that most murder victims are African American males, ages 18 to 24. Statistics also show that most crimes committed by juviniles in the city of Philadelphia occur between the hours of 3 and 6pm. Clearly, there is a need for increasing opportunity for lower income and poor urban children to have more positive expieriences.

Camp William Penn has been serving this need since the 1960's. Thousands of children have had positive opportunities every summer thanks to the city of Philadelphia and Camp William Penn. Where else in the city can they swim in a real lake, roast marshmallows over an actual camp fire, and see animals they have only read about in school?

Mr. Nutter, if you believe anything that you stated in your campagin for mayor, now is NOT the time to give up on the youth in Philadelphia. Closing Camp William Penn will ensure that you are in fact giving up on the disadvantaged youth in Philadelphia. Please, reconsider your budget proposal and urge those in City Council to fight this fight with us. The future of Philadelphia is depending on us.