What are your kids doing this April Vacation?

For the fourth year, Gloucester’s Rick Doucette, YMCA Teen & Camping Services director, is taking teens and chaperons from North Shore YMCAs to New Orleans during April Vacation to help people rebuild the City and even the Bayou — they plant trees as well as repair homes.

This trip works wonders on many levels: local teens are immersed in New Orleans culture; they feel the joy of having a profoundly positive impact on other people’s lives; they experience first-hand how working together builds a stronger community.

Most kids goof off during April vacation.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer in giving kids free-time to explore the world and become themselves.  But something vital touches me when I hear that 47 local teens are going to donate their vacation time to work hard on a construction site or in a swamp so that people 1500 miles away can have a better life.

That’s one reason why Vickie and I are producing a concert next Saturday, April 6, featuring New Orleans natives Henri Smith & Charles Neville to help raise money for this trip.  Last year, we sold out Minglewood Tavern on Mardi Gras, so we decided to take it to another level this year and host it at the historic Larcom Theatre in Beverly (more about that here).

You can still get tickets and there are even a few VIP packages left.  Get on-line tickets here or go to Gloucester Music.

Here’s a list of the adventurous teens who are going on the trip and the YMCA they belong to.  Let’s honor them by helping to raise money so their parents don’t have to pay for their kids to work during April Vacation.