A Burnt Hills family is making the quintessential summer experience possible for a New York City child who would otherwise spend humid weeks without easy access to a diving board, a picnic in the park, or an outdoor concert.
Carol Frost-Cyrus and her husband, Duane, along with their five children, will be a Fresh Air Fund host family this summer. The Cyrus family is just one of many across the state and throughout the Northeast and Canada, who are hosting a total of about 5,000 children from New York City in July and August.
For two weeks or more, these children will be able to enjoy all of the simple pleasures of a summer away from the concerns and crowded streets of New York City, said Harald Olsen, spokesman from the fund’s central offices in New York City.
This will be the sixth time the Cyrus family will welcome 15-year-old Darian Jennings, who lives in the borough of Queens in New York City.
With an already full household, Darian has developed relationships much like a sibling to the five Cyrus kids, now ages 7 to 16.
Entertaining Darian hasn’t called for elaborate outings and road trips to the Adirondacks. Instead, he enjoys simple summer activities most area kids take for granted.
`We go swimming, camping and roast marshmallows over a fire outside,` said Frost-Cyrus. `We even bake cookies and set up a lemonade stand at the end of the driveway. We try to make Darian feel more like a member of the family than a guest.`
One moment in particular stands out from all of the summers. It was the summer Darian, then 10, learned to ride a bike while staying with the Cyrus family.
`He was so nervous about trying something new his first summer with us, but we persuaded him to give bike riding another chance his second summer here,` said Frost-Cyrus. `He was pretty shaky at first. We spent two days running beside him, but he mastered it, and his parents were able to watch him ride away on his own when he got back home in New York City.`
Frost-Cyrus also tries to impress on her five children how much Darian’s city environment differs from their own.
`I show them pictures of a high-rise and tell them when Darian opens his door, it leads to a hallway,` said Carol. `Here, he has immediate access to a sandbox and a swing set. He can walk out the door and have freedom to roam.`
Frost-Cyrus was quick to point out they don’t live in miles of rolling hills or at a lakeside setting stocked with sailboats and kayaks.
`We have a large yard, but it’s all grass,` she said. `We don’t have horses or all kinds of play equipment; we’re just a country family.`
Frost-Cyrus grew up in Kingston next door to a longtime Fresh Air host family, and always planned to offer the same experience to her own children once they were old enough.
`I remember to this day having the boy, Terrence, at my house to play all the time when he came up from the city,` said Frost-Cyrus. `Now with Darian, my kids call him their summer brother.`
The Fresh Air fund is always looking for local families willing to open their homes to provide a breath of fresh air for a child by becoming a host family, since many kids are hoping to come upstate in August.
`We always have a greater number of children from the city looking for host families than there are willing families,` said Olsen. `We do everything we can to encourage more people to volunteer.`
Carol said she recommends hosting a child, and if you already have children, you won’t need to look far for activities.
`It can be very simple; you don’t have to plan things all the time,` said Carol. `You just have to open your heart and your home and see how it goes.`
For more information, contact Harald Olsen at [email protected], or call (800) 367-0003, ext. 8901.“