Getting lots of heart-healthy exercise over the summer is not a problem for more than 500 young people, most of them from Fall River, who attend either day or overnight camp in Assonet at Camp Welch run by Boys & Girls Club of Fall River. "For most of these kids, the day is non-stop activity," noted Club Executive Director Peter McCarthy who spends his day at the camp during the summer. The camp is the oldest Boys & Girls Club camp in the country and was donated by the Dean family to the Thomas Chew Memorial Boys & Girls Club in 1882. Busses transport most of the kids aged 5-15 from Fall River daily for activities that range from sports to crafts for children. Children from Freetown, Dighton, Somerset and Swansea and about 60 overnight campers round out the group each day from about 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. Click here for photos from 2007. For more information, contact Executive Director Peter McCarthy at 508-672-6340.

(Top row) Campers enjoy a game of four-square with staff member Maggie Toure, a game of bombardment with staff member Trevor Benoit, and the chance to enjoy the swings for an hour at a time during the day at Camp Welch. (Middle row, left and center) Older teens race out onto the court to engage another team in a game while younger children get the chance to go for a free swim in one of two pools that operate at the camp. (Middle and bottom row, right) Camp staff members Vicky Reis and Nolan Bernier start a game of capture the flag going which results in thirteen-year-old Garrett Grimley to race onto the field. (Bottom row, left) Camp counselors-in-training Christian Frederick and Peter Nguyen get a basketball going with older youth. (Bottom row, center) Campers enjoy a soccer game on one of the camps many ball fields. .