A recent letter from Sue Morrello and Jeanne Esposito describes the joys of local families’ continuing relationships through the Fresh Air Friendly Town program (“Kudos to Fresh Air Fund families,” Gazette, July 12). Twenty-five years ago, my family was lucky enough to host a little girl from Brooklyn through the Fresh Air Fund. Lysia visited for seven summers, learning how to swim, ride a bike, camp, and basically just mess around in “the country.” Her mother Irene and I maintained a warm relationship through the years, as our daughters grew up and had children of their own. Sadly, Irene passed away from a stroke several years ago, but the connection between our families endures. This summer, Lysia’s daughter and nephew visited and had a great time doing all the things their mom and auntie did with the addition of our six grandchildren as companions (and co-conspirators). I can’t think of a greater source of joy than participating in the Fresh Air Fund program. If you have ever thought about hosting, and can stand a little chaos, I highly recommend it!

Lora Sandhusen

Leeds 

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