NYC Fresh Air Fund Children Arrive In New Bedford

Nearly 60 children have made the annual pilgrimage from New York City to New Bedford to spend a few weeks with their "second" families. Families from all over Greater New Bedford picked up their assigned Fresh Air Fund children at Buttonwood Park Zoo Monday, and are anxious to begin spending time with each other.

Alicia Bredberg and her family were awaiting the arrival of their summer-time friends, Tanner and Fatima. She tells WBSM News the few weeks spent together don't have to be educational, just fun. "It's just an enrichment opportunity. I don't feel like we need to give them anything they don't have. Just the experience, just memories," said Bredberg.

Darren Costa and his family have hosted now 13-year-old Kenyon Spencer for six years. Costa recalls the first time they brought Kenyon to the beach. "He stepped inside the sand and he started to grab onto the wall and grab us. He thought he was going to sink all the way through! He's never stepped in sand before. When he went in the water, he tasted salt. He wanted to know how come the water was salty. He didn't know what salt water was," explained Costa.

Many of those same first time experiences will be shared with host families and the children from New York over the next two weeks.

The Fresh Air Fund has provided children from New York City with vacations with laid back settings since 1877.